The Nova Scotia government says it is investing over $350,000 to help boatbuilders and boat repair businesses in the province expand into new markets.

The province says the funding from its Community Economic Development Fund is going to the Nova Scotia Boatbuilders Association.

It says the association will use the money to promote local companies at industry trade shows and missions, in trade publications and through online communications and strategic partnerships.

The Nova Scotia Boatbuilders Association was established in 1998 to diversify the industry beyond the domestic fishing boat market.

The province says the investment will help local boatbuilders deliver on national defence priorities and compete internationally for naval contracts.

The executive director of the Nova Scotia Boatbuilders Association says the boatbuilding industry maintains small vessels for several of the province’s key industries, including fisheries and defence.

“This investment helps to ensure the ongoing health of our industry, and the rural communities where much of the work takes place, as we navigate an unusually complex trade environment,” said a statement from executive director Jan Fullerton.