05/19/2026
Conservation and Science
All his life Anthony Mendillo has had his eye on the ocean and observed changes that he finds disturbing in various fisheries. As such he has made it his business to be a voice for change. This is something that is close to his heart and that he participates in at a high level. He serves on the Board of The Bluefin Collaborative, which is an international organization that collects scientific data about migratory patterns of bluefin tuna. These data are intended to be used to help regulate international quotas. Further, Anthony is the Isla Mujeres representative for the IGFA, which propagates rules for responsible approaches to fishery management of all kinds.
The rules for bluefin tuna fishing are strict, and support for a scientific approach to protection of the specie is of paramount importance. The migration patterns of bluefin tuna were largely unknown, and data gaps for small fish were an impediment to understanding the stock’s trajectory. Tag A Tiny is a cooperative tagging program for juvenile bluefin tuna. It was started in 2006 by the Large Pelagics Research Center (LPRC) led by Dr. Molly Lutcavage, who recognized the need to identify migration paths and habitats of juvenile Atlantic bluefin tuna. So Anthony has turned his attention to the work of the LPRC, which accomplishes a social and scientific purpose for the work he has been doing all his life.
The program began as a center to conduct research on key species of interest to commercial and recreational fisheries in the Atlantic Ocean including tunas, sharks, billfish, and sea turtles. The Center, established at the University of New Hampshire, but more recently operating under the auspices of U Mass, functions as a coordinator and source of funding for large pelagic species research.
The initial objective of Tag a Tiny was to determine the feasibility of developing a network of cooperative fishermen taggers in a region where commercial fishing for juveniles no longer occurred, and where scientific tagging via purse seine or bait boat was highly improbable. The model is working, and today the program enlists recreational anglers and charter boat captains to catch, measure, tag, and release juvenile bluefin tunas with conventional, double-barbed nylon “spaghetti” ID tags purchased from The Billfish Foundation.
With so many bluefin tuna encounters in his life, Anthony is well familiar with their behavior when they are brought to the boat. On account of this he invented a tagging system for bluefin tuna that is now used all over the world. This “hammer tag” has a long pole with an applicator on the end that is at a ninety-degree angle to the stick. This allows the person doing the tagging to reach far out from the boat to apply the tag. Because tunas usually come up to the boat on their side (as opposed to many billfish that come to the surface with their backs facing up) the hammer is much more likely to set the tag in the fish’s back, which avoids the possibility of accidentally sticking the tag in the bloodline of the fish and doing serious damage. Thus, clients of Anthony’s understand that any bluefins caught are to be tagged and released.
In Cape Cod, clients begin booking trips a year in advance of their fishing dates. Anthony is neither the captain nor the mate for these charters. Because these outings are for scientific purposes, Anthony is aboard for every trip. People are enthusiastic for the experience of catching one of these feisty monsters, and are happy to be part of the scientific effort. Anthony’s job is to manage the charter, and to be on board to make certain the rules are followed. But the heavy lifting is done by a captain, a mate, or sometimes two mates, and an angler. Because there is a possibility of catching multiple giant bluefin tunas in a day, the crews are kept busy and must be supervised by someone with the experience of a veteran like Anthony who has been catching giant bluefin tunas all his life.
Often, after a season up north, Anthony will head south to where his father lives in North Palm Beach, Florida. In 2022 the stay in North Palm was extended because he was taking possession of, and managing, Chachalaca for Lawrence Berry. Even though it had recently been released from dry dock, it still needed some work. So Kin and their son, Sonny, accompanied Anthony while this work was being done. Then Kin and Sonny flew home to Isla Mujeres while Anthony, with his friend, Brad Simonds, brought the boat from Key West to Isla Mujeres.
Also in 2022 Anthony had a successful fall charter season in Cape Cod. In the late summer of 2022 Anthony reported catching an average of four giant bluefin tunas a day, each averaging 600-700 pounds. With his scientific research license he tagged and released all of them.
On his way back to Florida from Cape Cod, Anthony purchased a new boat for the fleet at Enrique’s Dock. But that boat needed a lot of work, so Anthony remained in North Palm Beach for several weeks working on the boat and overseeing the installation of a new diesel motor. With the new engine, and a transmission he somehow found in New Jersey, Anthony reassembled the drive train, performed a sea trial, and then took off for Isla Mujeres. The balance of the work on that boat was planned for its arrival in Isla.
Such is a year in the life of Anthony Mendillo. Most of the year is spent with his family in his permanent home in Isla Mujeres where there is a busy dock and a successful charter business to manage. Then there is the annual migration north where Anthony’s steady book of business awaits his return so they can catch, tag, and release giant bluefin tunas.
Patrick Mansell
Bimini Twist Library
Two famous ocean conservationists Dr. Guy Harvey and Captain Anthony Mendillo