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The dropline gear, original from Seychelles, for targeting slope demersal fish species was tested during the implementation of the acoustic survey aimed to estimate the abundance and distribution of these fishes in the slopes of North Coast of Mozambique. The primary role of the dropline was to bring the species assemblage in the surveyed area. An associated objective of the survey was also to evaluate the gear performance in order to consider the possibility of introducing a dropline fishery. A total of 19 fishing stations were sampled covering the area between the latitudes 14°50’S and 12°00’S at depth’s contour of 100 to 400m. Each station was composed by a set of three droplines with a soak time of 30 minutes. Each dropline gear was composed of 45 Mustard tuna circle hooks (sizes 11/0, 12/0 or 13/0) baited with mackerel and squid. The total number of target species (snappers and blueskin seabream) caught during the survey was 12 (30Kg), while the number of sharks was 14. Shark species captured in the area were Shortnose spurdog Squalus megalops and Smallfin gulper shark Centrophorus moluccensis that were measured and released. One shark depredation episode on target species was recorded. The gear structure was significantly affected during the fishing operations with 10 % of hooks lost. High proportion of bycatch composed by shark species coupled by the loss of significant amount of hooks raised the necessity of more investigations on gear efficiency and impacts in ecosystem before recommend the implementation of a dropline fishery in the area.
