Indonesian authorities are considering calling off their search for those missing after an asylum seeker boat sunk off the coast of Java.

It has been about two days since the wooden boat, thought to have been carrying about 60 asylum seekers, sank roughly 500 kilometres from Christmas Island.

The official death toll from the accident still stands at eight and a large-scale search and rescue operation failed to find any more bodies or survivors yesterday.

Local police chief Agus Santoso is questioning whether it is worth continuing the search after today.

He has told the ABC that authorities might stop looking and rely on local fisherman to spot any more bodies.

Those injured in the accident are being cared for at a hospital and a medical centre.

The other survivors are understood to be at a police station and a navy base.

The last body retrieved was that of a nine-year-old boy who was found on Tuesday night, about 20 kilometres from where the boat sank near the coastal town of Pangandaran.

Last night Immigration Minister Chris Bowen told ABC's 7.30 program there was little hope of finding anybody alive.

"Well obviously in these circumstances information does vary, but the latest official advice we have is that there are eight people who are confirmed deceased," he said.

"We think there are between 60 and 70 people on the boat, but we'll never know the exact number, and still a number being searched for, and tragically I think we need to brace ourselves that those being searched for are unlikely to be found alive."



The incident off Indonesia and the interception of another two boats have put the asylum seeker issue back in the Australian political spotlight.

Earlier on Wednesday, Opposition Leader Tony Abbott said the drownings highlighted the need for the Government to bring forth a vote on its proposed changes to the Migration Act.