The ban on deep sea fishing using mechanised boats that was in effect from November 1 was lifted on Monday after representatives of fishermen communities and fisheries department officials reached an understanding. The first set of 47 boats ventured into deep sea with an assurance that they would not violate the norms by undertaking night stay fishing. Tokens were issued to them to check if they returned by 9pm. For more than three decades the government has implemented nigh stay fishing ban on mechanised boats considering the safety of country boat fishermen. Mechanised boats that have a capacity that is more than country boats are allowed to leave the shores at 5am and should return by 9pm. This applies for the more than 275 mechanised Chinnamuttom fishing harbour in Kanyakumari district too. But on and off there have been violations by a sizeable section of these fishermen. Following incidents of night stay fishing by mechanised boats, the fisheries department imposed a ban on use of mechanised boats for fishing from October 30. But representatives of fishermen associations held talks with the department officials and agreed to operate them from 5am to 9pm and that it could be checked using a token system. Tokens will be issued to the boats the time they venture into the sea. They have to be given back upon their return to the harbour. On this condition mechanised boats were allowed to operate from October 31. But, fisheries department officials found that as many as 62 boats violated the terms and were engaged in night stay fishing. Following the incident, ban on fishing using mechanised boats came to effect, and continued till Sunday.