Why do some vegetarians eat fish/seafood?

Question

what is the reasoning for being a vegetarian but still eating seafood? just wondering because i hear this often.

Answer 1

Because not all seafood has blood

Answer 2

Vegetarians do not eat dead animals regardless of what ecosystem they live in.

The question is why do some people who still eat seafood CALL themselves vegetarian?  I don't know.  Either it's ignorance of what the word means, or the desire for a label, or... I don't know.  But they're misinformed and they're misinforming other people.

Answer 3

Because they consider fish and sea creatures to be a vegetarian.They lie actually !

Answer 4

some people argue its the way their life is not impaired before the catch - a fish is a fish - it lives its life happy and wild...

until it is caught...

cows and chickens etc are bread in captivity purely to live until they are big enough for the slaughter - some people argue it is cruel and inhumane the way they are stored and treated - a far cry from the way nature intended

Answer 5

They don't.  Vegetarians do not eat the flesh of any animal, and last time I checked, fish are animals.  I could check Wiki, and I'm pretty sure it would describe fish as being from the animal kingdom, too.

As someone else pointed out, the question is why people who eat sea creatures call themselves vegetarian, and it's probably because it takes too much effort (i.e., they're too darn lazy) to say they eat no meat except for sea animals.  Well, tough toenails.  You can call yourself Queen of Romania, but that doesn't mean you are.

I will also point out that not all fish is wild-caught.  Or have they not heard of "aquaculture" in which fish are raised in tiny vats and crammed in foul water?  Or have they not heard that when the fishing boats go out, they catch a lot of creatures without "salable value" who are killed by the nets and tossed dead into the sea?

If you want to eat sea animals, that's your decision, but I urge you not to call yourself vegetarian because I really do NOT wnat some idiot offering me fish when I say I'm veg.

Answer 6

Firstly, people who eat seafood are NOT vegetarian. Vegetarians do not eat animals, fish are animals.

Common reasons I have heard for still eating fish

1. You can't live without it.  

This argument is plain wrong - I have been a vegetarian and vegan for 14 of my 21 years and I'm not dead.

2. You need the protein.

Again, wrong. Protein is easy to get on a plant based diet.

http://www.vegparadise.com/protein.html

3. Fish only have, like, 3 second memories or something.

Wrong (beginning to see the pattern?). Recent studies have not only debunked this myth but show that fish culture (that's right culture) is a lot more complex that we originally thought)

http://calvin.st-andrews.ac.uk/external_...

4. Fish can't feel pain.

Wrong. Fish have a central nervous system and pain receptors just like us.

The only valid reasoning that someone can give for still eating fish is that they gave up meat purely for health reasons or because they don't like the taste.

If someone has given up all other meats because of ethical reasoning then, in my mind, to be morally consistent they must apply those same ethics to fish, even if they are not cute and cuddly.

Alli Rose: I haven't heard that reasoning before, thank you for enlightening me (I'm serious).

I do have a few questions:

do you think it is acceptable to hunt and eat wild game?

Also, do you avoid fish that are farmed such as salmon, catfish, tilapia, cod, carp, trout etc?

Answer 7

Its easy.

If you eat fish, your not a vegetarian. A fish is an animal.

This question does get quite annoying.

The fact people call them selves vegetarians, when they eat fish, its laughable.

Answer 8

Some vegetarians decide to eat fish and shellfish. They are called Pescetarians.

Answer 9

Some people don't understand what vegetarianism is, so they eat fish and say they are "vegetarians."

Real vegetarians will always argue that people who eat fish are not vegetarians.

The Catholic Church declared that "fish is not meat" so some people believe they are vegetarian if they eat only fish.

However, the original idea of vegetarianism is about not killing and eating animals. Fish are animals. And it didn't have anything to do with the Catholic Church.

My wife is Hindu, and believe me, they aren't going to start serving fish at their temple just because a bunch of non-Hindus say "fish is not meat."

Some people who eat fish and call themselves "vegetarians" say they do that because it's "simplier to explain."  I never even say I'm vegetarian anymore because I know a lot of people are going to assume I eat fish. I just say I don't eat animals. To all you fish-eating "vegetarians" out there; thank you very much for stealing our word and causing confusion.

Answer 10

They don't and they are not even vegetarians.

Answer 11

An animal is an animal. Free-range, wild or not.

So here is the line-up in simpler terms.  Do not bash me for this as I know some of you will want to. LOL

~ A vegan does not eat ANY meat OR dairyof any kind.

~ An Ovo-Lacto vegetarian has the same diet but DOES eat/drink dairy and eats eggs

~ An Ovo-vegetarian has the same no-meat diet as a vegan but does eat eggs.

~ A lacto-vegetarian has the same no-meat diet but does eat /drink dairy but no eggs.

~ A pescetarian is someone who eats seafood only.

~ A flexitarian is someone who eats primarily vegetarian foods but only occasionally eats some form of meat. Mainly to satisfy vitamin needs, or cravings.

These terms were roughly created because there are so many different lifestyles. But most people don't know the definition of these terms. So saying you are primarily vegetarian with a specific additional detail will make it easier for people to understand.

BUT...and this I stress....are ONLY descriptions to help people understand what exactly a person's diet entails. I ado not understand people that say any of these descriptions ruin the vegan/vegetarian name. Like there is a title or crown to wear. No one is any lesser of a human being for eating meat or NOT eating meat. People can eat how they want. If someone wants to be more health conscious then let them. If you do not agree with it then keep a nasty opinion to yourself. People will only change their views on eating meat IF THEY CHOOSE. Not because you bawk'd or moo'd at them  or called them a wanna-be vegan/vegetarian. That is still a form of discrimination. If you are compassionate for animals, then be compassionate for each other and respect someone else's lifestyle. That also goes for people who eat meat. Do not discriminate against people that have different views then you. Just open your mind. We can all learn from each other.

Answer 12

Everyone has different reasons for being vegetarian.  There is no question that red meat is much less healthy than seafood, so some people that are trying to remain healthy may want to cut down on red meat only.  Other people have religious reasons for eating some animals but not others.

Answer 13

They don't. If they eat animals and say they are vegetarian.... well they are mistaken... that is called a liartarian.

if you are speaking of pecitarian, pecetarian, or pecevores, which eat only fish or sea animals. Fish is very healthy as far as animals go, but I can't tell you why because they have different reasons for doing it.

Answer 14

I am one of those people are you talking about, hehe.  I eat fish and seafood but no land animals or mammals or any kind.  However, I also usually call myself a "Pescetarian" because that's really the right term... but sometimes when I don't want to explain I just say vegetarian.

Anyway, here is MY reason... animals like cows, pigs, chickens, etc are usually raised in horrible conditions and essentially tortured for their whole existence until one day  they are slaughtered horribly.... not always humanely as everyone would like to believe... chickens are living in cramped cages, even free range ones only get an hour of this "free range" a day sometimes.  Pigs are beaten to death and stomped on, cows are strung up by their feet and their throats are slit and they wriggle around half alive as they get skinned and ground.  It's just not something I can support... a few bad apples are spoiling the whole bunch for me.  (You should check out a documentary called "Earthlings"... you will understand what I mean)

The reason I'm still ok with fish is because wild fish swim around in the ocean until one day, their time is up.  Yes, I realize they are still being killed, but I also realize that such is the cycle of life... animals prey on other animals to survive... and taking a fish out of the wild doesn't feel the same as supporting an industry that keeps animals in awful conditions for their whole lives.

But that's just me.  Everyone will have varying opinions about this... hence why there are so many forms of vegetarianism, as well as people who eat all meat.  This is my personal decision based on my personal beliefs, as we all have differences.... if we didn't, there would be no such thing as vegetarian!

Hope this helped you see the perspective of one "pescetarian" :)

Answer 15

We eat fish to get what we're missing.  But vegetarians do not have a problem with cholesterol and should not be prescribed Lipitor by their evil doctor!

Answer 16

They are Mammal and/or Avian Vegans.

Answer 17

I secretly find it quite annoying that some people excuse eating fish, I don't have a problem with people eating meat, just don't call yourself a freakin' vegetarian! I have come across plenty of people who manage to eat chicken whilst being a vegetarian too, hilarious!

Answer 18

some people feel that fish isnt the same as meat and its ok to eat it but i feel if you are a vegetarian then you shouldnt eat fish or seafood either its not right i have been a veggie for over 20yrs and would never eat fish if people need extra vitamins buy them from the healthshop get a multivitamin but you dont need to eat fish or seafood there is plenty of other foods to try.

Answer 19

I still eat fish and seafood but i know i dont call myself a vegetarian yet wether i do eliminate it or not i still dont know but it can be hard to do say if you like sushi or fish in general............i primarily eat vegetarian though and sometimes vegan and macrobiotic and rawfoods (sushi) but i wouldnt call myself a vegetarian if i still eat fish even though they came up with this false labe of pescvegetarian whatever to that one............

Answer 20

Anyone who eats seafood is not a vegetarian.  Fish is flesh and vegetarians don't eat flesh.  Also they are raised on factory farms too.  They are not just caught from the ocean.

Answer 21

You will never in you life, meet a vegetarian that eats fish, shrimp, clams or any other sea animal. This is because such a person cannot exist.

A person may eat seafood and call themselves vegetarian but they are lying, even if they may be unaware that it's not true.

Vegetarians do not eat animals. Even worms and ants are animals.