PORTLAND – The shrimp season is under way in the Gulf of Maine but the cold, gusty weather kept many fishermen in Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts in port on Monday.

Six boats from Maine and two from New Hampshire brought their catch to the Portland Fish Exchange when the season opened Sunday, but most fishermen stayed home on Monday after checking the weather forecast, said Margaret Hunter, scientist with the Maine Department of Marine Resources.

Even with good weather, scientists had projected that the catch would be thin early in the season, Hunter said.

The shrimp season, which runs from Dec. 19 until March 25, will likely pick up steam as shrimp migrate closer to shore, where their offspring will hatch in February and March, Hunter said.

“It’s getting a slow start,” Hunter said. “The shrimp really haven’t finished their inshore migration.”

All told, about 130 boats from Maine and about 20 more from New Hampshire and Massachusetts go after shrimp.

This year’s shrimp season has been extended to 70 days, a sharp increase from the 40 days allowed last winter, the 38 days the previous year and the 25 days the year before that.

Because the potential to earn more money closer to home lures many fishermen out during the worst weather months of the year, both the Coast Guard and Marine Patrol will focus on the safety of the fleet.

With water temperatures in the upper 30s and lower 40s, the Gulf of Maine in winter can be an unforgiving environment.

“Cold water poses a serious threat to the survival of fishermen,” said Coast Guard Ensign Michael Glinski. “The goal of both agencies is to prevent accidents from happening by making sure every boat is equipped for survival if something should go wrong.”

Last year, the total shrimp haul was 1,705 metric tons and it was 1,209 metric tons before that, Hunter said.

The peak in modern history in 1996 was 9,166 metric tons, when the fishery was thought to be overfished, Hunter said. The goal is for shrimp landings to be in the range of 3,000 to 4,000 metric tons, she said.

The northern shrimp fishery is jointly regulated by Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts through the Atlantic States Marines Fisheries Commission. The cooperative management program has used since 1972.