A warning it's not just Bay of Plenty ratepayers forking out tens of thousands of dollars to salvage abandoned boats

Over the last two months, the Bay of Plenty harbourmaster team has recovered four sunken vessels in Tauranga Harbour.

Each salvage can cost up to 25-thousand dollars.

The team says many of the vessels causing problems were built during the boating boom of the 1960s and 70s.

Deputy Harbourmaster Daniel Rapson says other councils are also dealing with these ageing boats.

He says it's also an issue worldwide, with Australia, the UK and Japan all dealing with it.