Why do many Vegetarians not eat "meat" but are OK with eating fish?

Question

There is a name for this type of Vegetarian, but I can't remember the name. The majority of UK Veggies are this though.

Answer 1

Individuals who abstain from all animal flesh with the exception of fish and seafood are termed "pescetarians."

Individuals who eat animal flesh (including fish) are not vegetarians.

Answer 2

That makes no sense since no REAL vegetarian eats fish.  Fish IS meat.  They are not vegetarians at all..they are omnivores.

Answer 3

i dont know thats a bit wierd

Answer 4

nope.......I don`t eat fish. did you ever of the ban on cod fishing??It was off the coast of Newfoundland,there were barely any cod left, they over harvested them...Sad, but true story. The cod are still recovering...

Answer 5

if you eat fish then your not a vegetarian

Answer 6

Pescetarians do, in fact, fall under the category of 'vegetarian diets' (according to numerous websites and popular belief from what I can tell) , although many of us ***including myself*** disagree with this evaluation. Of course, this association may just be because it is a stricter diet than most and shows the limited consumption of some type of animal.

There is controversy over what a fish can feel and so forth but it seems a great deal of the general public believes that fish probably don't sense pain the way we can empathize with, have hardly any recollection of pain if it exists for them, etc. and so this becomes justifcation, as well as many health benefits (omega is a common one, for example). While most people believe there to be a lot of healthy benefits to consuming fish, there are a lot of cons as well (a new study published showing that eating fish doesn't actually do anything more for a child's brain function due to omega, stomach virus assocations which kill a large number of China's population, and so forth).

Basically, the idea that a vegetarian or vegan diet cannot give a human being all the nutrients needed, the media emphasizing all the health benefits of eating fish, the idea that fish are such a lowly life form, as well as making life easier when eating out/cooking may all contribute to this lifestyle.

Here is a list of various types of vegetarian diets (and yes, pescetarians are all over the place as a listing):

http://vegetarian.about.com/od/vegetaria...

http://www.pescetarianlife.com/faq.php

http://www.msu.edu/user/daenzerr/rd491/t...

http://www.passionatevegetarian.com/vege...

http://ramsss.com/bhakti/vegetarian/type...

Answer 7

They are not actually vegetarians at all, rather they are called pescitarians. They follow most of the food guidelines that vegetarians do, with the exception of fish.

Answer 8

I really don't care what people think to label themselves. I think these labels, pescitarian and flexitarian, are good for society because they advocate a healthier diet than the average American seems to eat. However, they are not vegetarian diets.

Answer 9

They're not vegetarians if they eat fish.  I wish I knew where the confusion began, but probably because fish aren't "cute" and because they're believed to have a short memory.   However, scientists are finding ways to trick fish into swimming into a net, proving fish can be "trained" and that their memory span is longer than previously thought.  Meaning, they're not as dumb as we think and maybe people shouldn't be eating them.

Answer 10

It is pretty much the same way here.  My theory is it is because fish have only...uhm...a 3 or 8 second memory span so they can't really recall the HOOK.  I know, sounds silly but it works for me.   ; )  kidding really...

Answer 11

Due to the muscle make up of fish, it is not considered a meat, per say. I however will not touch them nor beef or any other animal.

The Ahi tuna is the exception to this rule.

Answer 12

They're not really vegetarians - they just don't eat other meats than fish. But some call them pesco-vegetarians, after the latin term for fish.

I was a macrobiotoc for a few years - that includes fish, dairy and poultry.

Answer 13

Some people don't like to eat cute animals, and fish are generally not seen as cute.  I have a friend who is opposed to eating beef, but oddly enough, she eats the mess out of some chicken!  Crazy, right?

I also had another friend who was a "vegetarian" who ordered shrimp next to me at a restaurant.  When I asked her why, she said it was because they lacked central nervous systems.  I quickly alerted her of her mistake.

These are two possible and equally crazy reasons why: cuteness and a lack of knowledge.  I guess health issues could be in there too if they are "vegetarian" for their health instead of for animal rights or the environment.

Answer 14

there is no such thing as a vegetarian that eats fish. . Fish IS meat (The flesh of an animal) If I want to eat fish, an animal has to die.. Vegetarians do  not eat anything that caused the death of an animal

What DOES exist is a WHOLE lot of misinformed, confused people (or maybe just morons) who CALL THEMSELVES vegetarians, even though they eat fish.. THey are, as I said, morons. Sorry.. They don't fit the definition of a vegetarian anymore than If fit the definition of a Tiger.  I can call myself a tiger all I want.. I can do my darndest to do everything a tiger does except produce baby tigers. That's just one minor thing tigers do that I can't do. But does calling myself a tiger make it true? No.. It just makes me look like a moron.

"pescetarians" are people who exclude MOST meat from their diet, with the exception of fish and/or other seafoods. This is a dietary lifestyle, but is NOT a "type" of vegetarian, or in anyway under the category "vegetarian"

You know.. back 18 years ago when I quit eating ALL meat (fish was my fav.. hardest to "give up")  NO ONE was confused on this issue.. That happened in the late 90's/ early 2000's when vegetarianism became "in style" and people wanted to jump on the bandwagon. NOw you got true vegetarians like me being offered fish AFTER I say I'm vegetarian.. and (just an example I heard) radio talk show personalities incorrectly saying that sting rays are not "animals"

That's how far the confusion has gotten.. "meat" has been blurred with "red meat" and "animal" is even getting blurred with "mammal"