When did a fish become a vegetable?

Question

Or better yet, when did a fish cease to be an animal?

I am a bit freaked out. I have been a vegetarian for over 6 years, and I have never heard (before Y!Answers) the idea of vegetarians EATING sea animals.

Vegetarians do not eat animals. Fish are animals. Vegetarians do not eat fish.

Having a name for people who do not eat any other animals than sea life is fine, but it has nothing to do with vegetarianism.

“ ANIMAL- noun
Etymology: Latin, from animale, ANIMATE,
1 : any of a kingdom of living things including many-celled organisms and often many of the single-celled ones (as protozoans) that typically differ from plants, and in having the capacity for Spontaneous Movement and motor responses to stimulation”

This isn’t completely rhetorical, and I expect to have people complain at me, but someone tell me what this about. When did this concept become taken seriously by vegetarians? How can a person who eats animals (have they fins or legs) be considered a vegetarian?

I understand there are various forms of vegetarianism because I read a lot.

But I still feel the second you eat an animal, you are, by very definition Not a vegetarian. An animal is an animal, and I can't find a logical argument against that.

Can't they be "semi-meat-eaters" or say "I don't eat red meat" or "I still eat fish so I am not quite a vegetarian yet."

ps. We vegetarians can have quite healthy diets, so please do not start arguing that.

It is so wonderful I am not alone in the middle of all this ridiculousness.

Cant Y!Answers create a "Pesco" or “omnivore” section so animal eaters can go answer their own questions?

It is hard to find vegetarians who actually need answers when you have to explain basic biology to kids, such as: Fish have a eyes and a heartbeat; they do not eat using photosynthesis... blah blah blah... the VEGE in vegetarian does not mean "some animals are ok if you want them to be…. No, not even if you really really want them to be…

Sorry. I shouldn’t type when I just wake up. I sound way too grumpy. :)

Answer 1

"A vegetarian diet is one that excludes all or most animal products, particularly a diet that excludes any food that requires the death of an animal."

I suppose people can call themselves whatever they want. I can engage in acts of violence, rationalize them with the excuse of "self-defense" and call myself a pacifist... but would that make me a pacifist? I can go to Church every Sunday morning, spend the rest of the week judging the people around me and still refer to myself as a Christian... but would I really be one?

There are different levels of vegetarianism... people who don't eat animals but are willing to eat eggs or dairy products (ovo-lacto vegetarians), people who don't eat animals or animal products of any sort (classical vegetarians) and people who won't eat, wear or otherwise use any animal or animal product (vegans...) but the common denominator is to refrain from consuming animals. People who eat birds or fish are not vegetarians... they are simply non-vegetarians who refrain from eating red meat.

Answer 2

People who eat meat don't understand vegetarian way of eating. At least they're trying to be helpful and not just desmissing you. There are many different levels of vegetarian; some people just don't like red meat or pork but chicken and turkey is ok. Others don't consider fish as animals they're called pesca vegetarian. Then there are the ovo and lacto groups that will consume eggs or dairy products. There are also vegans that don't eat anything but fruits and vegetables, nothing from an animal. Last you have raw foodists which don't eat anything cooked, which I think are pretty much just fruits and veggies. There are also the people that only eat organic foods but you can get organic meats from some places.

Answer 3

I'm a vegetarian, have been for years. And just because you johnny-come-lately's want to segregate vegetarianism into exactly what you had for breakfast and if it was arranged right, doesn't make it so.

define: Vegetarian
People who leave meat, poultry, fish and other animal-derived foods out of their diets.

So if you meet the definition you're a Vegetarian otherwise your somethin' else that includes vegetables in your diet.

Answer 4

Quite a long time ago. People become vegetarians for many reasons. Not just because "they love animals" and think its "cruel to eat something with a brain"

There are many forms of vegetarian diets. Here are two that eat fish:
Macrobiotic vegetarian-
This is mainly vegetarian but macrobiotic diets often contain seafood. All other meat products are excluded, as are eggs and dairy products. There are different levels of macrobiotic diets.

This diet is based on the Chinese principles of ying (positive) and yang (negative), and people may follow it for philiosphical or spiritual reasons.

Pescetarians/Semi/Demi-Vegetarians -
Generally follow a vegetarian based diet but eat fish.

Answer 5

I have a friend who calls herself a vegetarian but eats fish, and she explains that her reason for not eating meat is that she is trying to save energy. She says that it takes a LOT of energy and land to raise and kill a cow. LOTS more energy and land than soybeans would require, for example. Same thing for any farm-raised animal. her reason for not eating farm-raised meat (and farm-raised fish as well) is that she doesn't want to waste the energy required to turn sunlight into meat. She will eat fish that has been caught from the ocean, or lakes or streams, because, at least according to her, this form of nutrition does not come a the cost of a ridiculous amount of energy.

I'm not claiming that this makes it OK to call yourself a vegetarian, just that her reasons have nothing to do with avoiding foods that once had a face.

Answer 6

THANK YOU!!! I am getting tired of people calling themselves "pesco-vegetarians", "pollo-vegetarians",
"semi-vegetarians", etc. They are NOT vegetarian. Sorry, but a person cannot call themselves "vegetarian" if they eat fish, poultry or beef flesh!
It's great that they decide to not eat a certain type of meat, but they are not vegetarian unless they avoid all types.

Answer 7

i agree!!!! i get a little ticket when i see questions posted such as, "I'm a new veggie and i need good fish recipes!!!" I can't help but feel that this comes from people jumping into vegetarianism as a fad, knowing very little of what they're about to undertake. i understand that people want to be tolerant of all diets, as we should be, but let's be reasonable and use the proper names and definitions for said diets.

Answer 8

I could just hug you right now! For the past week or so I've noticed many people either claiming or asking if vegetarians eat fish. Driving me nuts!

Answer 9

It is a corruption of the term "vegetarian". As far as I know, a true vegetarian eats vegetables only, no meat, fish, birds, etc.

Those who eat fish and still call themselves vegetarians should call themselves "i diots"

Answer 10

Fish have never become a veggie.
Some fish eat seaweed like some humans.
Other fish eat smaller fish because they need more protein to live without getting sick.