Tierra del Fuego Travel Guide

Do not collect your own shellfish in Tierra del Fuego, as it is occasionally affected by a deadly poisonous, colourless version of red tide ( marea roja ). Cooking only increases the virulence of red-tide toxins, and you do not build up tolerance by regularly eating seafood. Following a severe outbreak of red-tide related poisonings in the early 1970s, both Chilean and Argentinian authorities introduced strict shellfish controls. Testing is carried out on all seafood deemed to be a potential risk to ensure it is safe for consumption, so you can tuck in to the area's delicious mussels ( cholgas ) in shops and restaurants without fear.

Unaffected by red tide is the undisputed prince of the palate, the centolla (king crab). The crab's spindly legs can measure over a metre from tip to tip, but the meat comes from the body, with an average individual yielding some 300g. The less savoury practice of catching them with traps baited with dolphin or penguin meat has almost been stamped out by the imposition of hefty fines by both Chilean and Argentinian authorities, but despite controls on size limits, they are still subject to rampant over-fishing. Canned king crab is served off-season, but is bland and not worth the prices charged.