A Taiwanese vessel accused of fishing illegally in Marshall Islands' waters ignored warning shots from a pursuing patrol boat and fled to the high seas, officials said yesterday.

Marshall Islands Sea Patrol chief Thomas Heine said the Taiwanese boat was identified as the Fu Yang 168. Efforts were underway to place the vessel on a regional blacklist, effectively banning it from fishing in the Pacific.

Meanwhile the search continued for Japanese fishing boat Chidori No 5, also accused of fishing illegally inside the 200-mile exclusive economic zone of the western Pacific island nation.