The search for a fisherman reported overdue from Tōrere has been formally suspended, nearly two weeks after it began.

Jason Kauta failed to return from a fishing trip on Sunday, April 17 and the search for him began that afternoon.

While weather conditions initially hampered the search, conditions have been in the searchers' favour in the latter part of the search, police said in a statement.

Extensive searching at sea by Coastguard, aerial searching by RNZAF and Coastguard aircraft, ground-based searching of the coastline by Police Search and Rescue, Landsar and Surf Life Saving personnel did not locate Kauta.

In the final act of the search on Friday police, iwi and whānau of the man walked the beaches and searched secluded rocky coves, followed by a karakia.

Some items found on the coastline during the past two weeks are believed to belong to Kauta and have been returned to whānau.

Kauta went out fishing by boat from Torere around 7am on Sunday, April 17.

His niece, Mia van den Broek, asked the fishing community for sightings of a 12ft fibreglass dingy.

Kauta is described as about 1.8m tall and has a whānau name "Wharekino" written on his right arm on the inside of his tā moko.

A rāhui will remain in place along the coast near Tōrere until further notice.

Police thanked everyone involved in the search.