A search under way this evening for a missing fishing boat off the Gisborne coast has been suspended for the night.

It’s understood two people are on the vessel, which set off an emergency beacon earlier today.

The vessel was expected back about 4.50pm but failed to return.

“At around 4.50pm, police received a report that a party of fishermen from Gisborne had not returned from a fishing trip as expected,” police said in a statement.

“Police are liaising with Maritime New Zealand and Coastguard – Maritime NZ is the lead agency and you would need to seek any further comment from them.”

Gisborne Tatapouri Sports Fishing Club president Roger Faber told the Herald the search began this evening about 5pm after the missing vessel did not return as expected.

Faber said there had been forecast winds of about 5 knots, but conditions deteriorated to 4-metre swells and 20-knot northeast winds.

He told Stuff three boats had been on the fishing trip today but one - a 6m trailer boat - didn’t return to port.

The people on the missing boat set off an emergency beacon and a helicopter had been sent to search for the vessel, along with Coastguard.

Faber said he was on one of the three boats, but his vessel and another turned back because the conditions were “pretty gnarly”.

They tried contacting the third vessel but received no answer.

“It wasn’t until we got back to the boat ramp and saw their trailer was still there that we had concerns for them,” he told Stuff.

Faber said the Gisborne fishing community were concerned for the fate of the missing boaties and hoping they would be found safe and well.

The search had now been suspended for the night, he told the Herald.