The Nova Scotia government is providing up to $4.4 million in assistance to The Cat, the high-speed ferry that links the province with Maine.

Jamie Muir, acting minister of the Economic Development Department, said the service would not be able to continue without immediate help.

The money -- equal to about $4.3 million in American dollars -- from the province’s Industrial Expansion Fund is to help Bay Ferries Ltd. offset a sharp increase in the cost of fuel.

Bay Ferries President Mark MacDonald said the service should essentially remain the same for this year’s peak season. The Cat operates between Yarmouth and two Maine ports, Bar Harbor and Portland.

MacDonald said the company has not sought assistance from Maine.

Providing financial help to a Canadian company would not be a high priority for Maine, given its own transportation needs, said John Richardson, the state’s economic and community development commissioner.

The company’s lease agreement with Portland allows it to pay less for space at the Ocean Gateway terminal if its business declines. City spokeswoman Nicole Clegg said the company has not sought a discount on its rent.