Amendment No. 3 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Red Drum Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico.

This Amendment to the Fishery Management Plan for the Red Drum Fishery of the Gulf of Mexico modifies the framework procedure for specifying Total Allowable Catch by stipulating that NMFS would provide stock assessments biennially rather than annually. Assessments on a biennial basis are more practical in that changes on an annual basis are more difficult to measure. The additional time also provides greater flexibility to the state in assessing escapement rates through studies and gathering other assessment information.