Fish

[Qternocq]

Hi Guys,

 

I see a lot of people saying that before they were vegan, they were a pescatarian. If it's the same as described on this wiki page (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pescetarianism) then I have a question: Why stop eating meat but keep eating fish?

I never understood what, besides some kind of intolerance / allergy, drives people to make a choice like that. It can't be ethics right? I mean: there's plenty of cruelty in catching fish and there's plenty of environment-destruction in there too... So can any of you ex-pescaratians explain that to me? I would certainly help me deal with the people I bump into on vegan/vegetarian get-together's that tell me they still eat fish.

Up till now I've been very judgmental about it

 

Thanks

[Fallen_Horse]

Because fish provides DHA?

 

I don't really know.

[Qternocq]

So do algae... But if you're willing to make that choice for health (however, getting DHA from algae is much healthier) then why stop eating meat in the first place? Makes no sense to me... hence the question.

[Fallen_Horse]

Huh? It all depends on why you would stop eating meat in the first place. Fish is tastier and cheaper than algae, plus it adds protein and B12 to the diet. I think most pescatarians are doing it because they don't want to eat much meat, but they do want meat, so they pick a meat that's on the healthy end of the meat spectrum.

[Richard]

In my experience with pescatarians, it is because they feel less empathy for fish, or no empathy at all. I've even met lots of people who say they are vegetarian, but eat fish - so they don't even consider fish to be "alive". I have met a few people who say they eat fish for health - and it is misguided, and in reality I think they are lazy more than anything.

[Qternocq]

Well, thanks guys for the response. I don't think I agree with "on the healthy end of the meat spectrum", but I understand what you mean. As I said: I saw a lot of people (erm, at least 2 in the few posts I've actually read, lol) on here who are ex-pescatarian. So maybe they can just give us their own vision on it?

[Cellar Yeti]

Our oceans and rivers are over fished. Of course everyone thinks fish is healthy. Enjoy your mercury, that's what you get for devastating an ecosystem.

 

If fish isn't meat then I am a giant fire breathing robot from Uranus. It has a complex nervous system.

[AlexNLP]

Can't say I was pescatarian.

But you can ask the same thing about vegetarian eating eggs and milk. Personally I think milk is worse than meat and other animal products.

I agree with what Richard said.

Also I think some might be scared they won't get all the nutrition they need on a total Vegan menu. Most of the people are seriously misinformed.

[Qternocq]

Not only are they misinformed, they are also, most of the time, eating very unhealthy, with or without fish. I've seen people with fast-food diets not wanting to give up meat for health issues. What can you do but laugh at them?

 

Miss informed, stupid and afraid of what they don't know.

 

And what Cellar Yeti said: fish is so super toxic...

[Fallen_Horse]

It actually very much depends on what kind of fish and where the fish is from, but I don't suppose I need to be arguing about it on the vegan forum!

[Qternocq]

I don't know... tilapia? Still a lot of junk in there to keep them from getting sick (when bred).

[kckas]

I ate fish before becoming vegan. I had a pet pig and I visited cows at a ranch when I was young so that turned me off to eating pork and beef. Fish I always considered healthier and I liked the taste of it. I also never saw fish the same way as I do other animals.

[Dallas]

I did it because I prefered it over beef, chicken, & turkey. I also thought it was healthier but then was eating tilapia because of the price, when it is an unhealthy fish.

[Tyler14]

I think they follow the whole out of sight out of mind lifestyle, most people never really see fish in their life. When I first became a Vegetarian before becoming a Vegan I completely eliminated any source of meat from diet. I thought that if I ate fish then how was I a true Vegetarian and what difference was I making to the world I would have still been supporting the killing of animals, so I never thought for one moment that it would be fine for me to eat fish while being a Vegetarian.

[jungleinthefrunk]

Well where I'm from a lot of people who eat chicken/turkey are "vegetarian". LOL.

[Kira]

Something about brain health and omega-3 fatty acids I think. But then, think about all the growth hormones and junk they feed the fish over at the mass-production farms.

[Nicholas_Weir]

If fish isn't meat then I am a giant fire breathing robot from Uranus. It has a complex nervous system.

 

 

 

I cracked up so much!!!! Good post.

 

 

Now what is the message/lesson from this.......

 

 

 

 

 

But to answer your question, I have a pescatarian friend and she says that she doesn't think of them as animals, hence her reason for eating it.

[mrveggieman]

For someone to claim that they are a vegetarian but still eat fish is akin to saying I don't do drugs I just like to snort cocaine every friday night.

[Petitpois]

Anyone has some literature/links about sentience of fish? I would be interested to know more about those fishy animals.

[pv vegan]

I agree with others on here about people mistakenly thinking fish is healthy and good for them so its ok. I've also found that there is the "cuteness factor". For some insane reason people have no problem eating an "ugly" animal but they won't eat a "cute" one. And fish fall into the ugly category.