An abandoned tuna fishing vessel left to rot in Mooloolaba’s Marina for the past four years will finally be removed by Maritime Safety Queensland.

The FV Nino was dumped by its owner in 2002 and was later towed to its current position, just off The Wharf Marina in Mooloolaba.

The abandoned tuna trawler has long been labeled a safety hazard by locals.

They are concerned that the hulking vessel, which shifts in the tide, will be the cause of a collision on the waterway.

A spokesperson for the maritime authority was reported as saying the owner of the vessel had until the end of the month to remove it from its current position, or it would be seized and sold off for scrap metal.

The owner of the deregistered former tuna boat had been contacted by Maritime Safety Queensland (MSQ), but his name was not released. Some in the industry claimed he had fled to New Zealand four years ago, when his fishing business took a turn for the worse.

The vessel was once worth $200,000 and still contains around $30,000 worth of machinery on board, as well as $6000 worth of steel, but the cost of towing and destroying it could top $40,000.

MSQ has not ruled out launching legal proceedings against the owner to recoup salvage costs, but locals are just glad the FV Nino will be removed.