The days of treasure hunting in waters off Nova Scotia will soon come to an end.

The province plans to introduce legislation in the fall to repeal the Treasure Trove Act, which the government says will help protect marine heritage.

Some licences will still be granted in the next few months, but the province says all offshore treasure hunting will end by Dec. 31.

The government says the move will also bring Nova Scotia into line with other Canadian jurisdictions. Nova Scotia is the only province with a Treasure Trove Act; it was originally written to deal with those hoping to find treasure on Oak Island.