Do you think that being a vegetarian but eating fish hypocritical?

Question

I was thinking about this earlier on and it just doesn't make sense. A fish is a small animal, and a cow for example is a large one. If i was to hold a banquet of 500 meat eaters, i would have to kill one single cow and there would be enough meat to go around. If i was to hold a banquet for 500 vegatarians, then thousands of prawns/cod etc would have to be killed. Surely killing thousands of living things would be much worse than just killing one living thing? Who is to say a fishs life is less important than a cows?

Just a thought.

Answer 1

You are not a vegetarian if you eat fish. That would make you a pescetarian. And I completely agree with you, it is hypocritical to value the life of one creature, but to disregard the life of another because it isn't as cute or cuddly. A fish posseses a central nervous system just like larger animals, and experiences both physiological and psychological responses. A fish experiences fear and pain when they are captured & killed, no less than other animals. In those terms, you are right, the life of a fish is no less important than the life of a cow.

Answer 2

You think a single cow can feed 500 people? Who the h**l are you, Jesus?

Answer 3

I think being a vegetarian but eating fish is impossible.  Eating fish simply defies the very definition.  Either you're a vegetarian or you eat fish, but the two are mutually exclusive.

I think that claiming to be a vegetarian when you're clearly not (because you eat fish) is either hypocritical (because you claim, by the definition of the word vegetarian, not to kill animals for your food when, in fact you do) or completely misguided.

I don't think that calling yourself a pescetarian and choosing a diet that includes fish but no other flesh is a valid idea.  I don't buy into the idea that a fish's life is worth less than a cow's and I wish people would see that and stop eating them, but everyone has to make their own choice.

Answer 4

nope.  

Answer 5

I've never thought of it in that way but I do think if you are vegetaran and therefore object to the killing of animals for food then it is also wrong to eat fish! It doesn't make sense to me why people would not eat chicken but would eat fish. I suppose it depends on the individual's reason for being a vegetarian. I eat meat and fish by the way.  

Answer 6

Vegetarians don't eat fish so posting this question is misleading.  

Answer 7

You cannot be a vegetarian and eat fish too.

Answer 8

I used to be vegan for 6 months but it made me sick and lose too much weight, so I had to be like my aunt and only eat chicken and fish. I would rather eat no meat, but my body couldn't handle just tofu and soy substitutes alone.

Answer 9

Not hypocritical, just incorrect.

If you eat animals, you are not a vegetarian. Plain and simple.  

Answer 10

Vegetarians don't eat fish.

Answer 11

some people eat fish because they think they dont have any feelings

Answer 12

It,s only hypocritical if you call yourself a vegetarian,because if you eat fish you are not one.

Answer 13

I think it's hypocritical if you're a vegetarian for animal welfare reasons. Fish are animals too, and just as capable of feeling pain as cows and lambs and other, cuddlier creatures. It's also kind of hypocritical if you're a vegetarian for environmental reasons, because overfishing is a pretty serious problem, but that depends a bit on what kind of fish you eat. Some are harvested more sustainably than others.

If you're a vegetarian for health reasons, then it's not hypocritical (eating fish has a lot of health benefits), just inaccurate. People who eat fish but no red meat or poultry should actually call themselves pescetarians.

Answer 14

a true vegetarian wont eat fish

Answer 15

Yeah I do. The point of being a vegetarian is that you don't eat anything that was living. Going and eating fish is going completely against this and I think that if you care about animals, then nt caring about fish is wierd.

Fair enough if you don't eat meat because you don't like the flavour but you do eat fish because you like it, but I think a person in this situation should not be called a vegetarian because they are eating something which was alive.  

Answer 16

yep, true.  i'm a vegetarian and i don't eat fish. i just think if your going to call yourself a vegetarian there should be no exeptions.  but a lot of vegetarians these days do eat fish, and i also do think its a little hypocritical. haha like i went to my friends house once, and told her mother before dinner that i was a vegetarian so i'd eat the pasta but no the mince, and she's like "oh, well would you like me to open up a can of tuna or something for you?"

vegetarians don't eat animals, a fish is an animal.     but at the same time i definately don't have anything personally against vegetarians who still eat fish, my friend is one of them.  she says, "i just find it hard to feel sorry for a fish"