Authorities called off the search for two missing crab fishermen off the coast of Port Renfrew, B.C., today at noon local time.

The case is now a missing persons file with the RCMP. The men were last seen Friday afternoon heading out to go crab fishing on a three-metre-long boat and reported missing Sunday morning.

The Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre told CBC News it is currently not releasing the identities of the men out of respect for the families.

A plane, a helicopter and two ships from the Canadian Forces, coast guard, and Royal Marine Search and Rescue resumed the search at first light Monday morning but it has now been halted, according to Lieut. Greg Menzies with the Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Victoria.

Searchers deployed a Comorant helicopter like this one and Buffalo turboprop airplane in the search for two fishermen who went missing on Friday. The search was called off today. (CBC)

A search and rescue ship went as far south as the northern part of Washington State today to look for the fishermen, said Menzies.

"Based on the amount of time as well as drift patterns and winds and that kind of stuff, they have a model and they extend the search that way," he said.

Searchers found no trace of the men in the extended area.

With files from Farrah Merali