Are fish swimming vegetables?

Question

Because I keep noticing more and more people claim to be vegetarian yet still eat fish. Being vegetarian means you don't eat meat at all. So if fish aren't meat to you people who claim to be vegetarians but are actually pescetarians, then does that mean they're swimming vegetables?

georgie gurl: Yes, you are helping some animals by avoiding all animals but seafood, but you still shouldn't call yourself a vegetarian. Instead, refer to yourself as a pescetarian. More people like you are confusing others, including some restaurants, which is causes problems for actual vegetarians.

Abel H:
Piscivore isn't the correct term. That refers to a carnviore who only eats fish and humans are omnivores.
Pescetarian refers to omnivores who avoid all meat except fish.

Piscivore:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piscivorous

Pescetarian:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pescetarian

Humans choose to be omnivores though, so they can't really be considered herbivores. You really can't be a piscivore, it's just not the proper term. Piscivores would refer to something like a shark who's main food is fish and other seafood. Even humans who eat fish don't consider fish their main source of food. I'm sure they intake more vegetables and other things, thus making them a pescetarian rather than a piscivore.

And yes, I'm well aware anyone can edit wikipedia, but if you just google the word pescetarian. There are many other sites though that define piscivore in the way that I did. I don't think every single site out there can be wrong. Even the site you listed described piscivores and carnivores.

http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/pfk/pages/glossary.php?entry_name=Piscivore

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/glossary/popup/20020904145838.html

http://www.answers.com/topic/piscivore

All of them say pretty much that piscivores live off fish which is something humans do not. They choose to eat it as their only meat, but they don't live off it.

Answer 1

Vegetarians do not eat animals, and by definition of the very word, there is no such thing as an animal (including fish) eating vegetarian.

Those who eat animals and call themselves "vegetarians" are simply very confused individuals.

:)
http://www.vegsoc.org/newveg/fft/basics.html
http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/vegetarian;_ylt=AuU.3o1EelJ6DIomlOXar5oZvskF
http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/vegetarianism;_ylt=Ak3QvlrosF07ZUNhQlXL4mWsgMMF
http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/vegan

In the fish eaters' defense, however, they were probably confused by the fact that any dork in his mom's basement can create a web page claiming anything from alien footage, vegetarians eating fish... all the way to the Holocaust never happening. Unfortunately a person does not need to be knowledgeable of anything other than how to work a computer when it comes to making a website spouting off misinformation.
:)

Edit- To go along with KitKat, I also do not use the "P" word. People do incorectly lump it in with vegetarianism. The second someone asks what the "P" word is, the person will not say s/he is a meat-eater who only eats fish, s/he will say s/he is a vegetarian who eats fish, and there is no such thing.

Answer 2

I dont use the term pescetarian because it has become somehow related to being a vegetarian in this V&V section. A "pescetarian" is not any type of vegetarian and it causes a lot of confusion. More and more people think that a "pescetarian" is a fish eating vegetarian. I say banish the word! A person that includes fish in their diet is still an omnivore

Answer 3

In the 1970's when the health food movement really became popular, a lot of people stopped eating all other meat, but still ate fish because it was supposed to be healthier. They didn't eat fish at every meal, but only occasionally. They prepared vegetarian foods most of the time. I'm sure it was pretty common for "vegetarians" way back then to eat fish, too. Animal rights is a much bigger cause today than it was then and I think it is more of a motivation for vegetarianism than it was then. So, while it may seem stupid to most of us for people to not "get" that vegetarians don't eat fish. I think you have a lot of people who are living in the past or who got their information on vegetarianism from people living in the past. if someone is ordering in a restaurant it's probaby much easier to say "I'm vegetarian so please make sure none of my dishes have meat in them" than it is to say "I'm a pescatarian (or piscivore, Abel)...what's that? oh it means I only eat fish sometimes". Personally. I don't see what the big deal is besides being frustrating having to clarify once in a while. I've never told someone I'm a vegetarian and they bring me out a bunch of fish.

I do, however, think it's terribly cruel and unhealthy to eat fish. People who think fish don't feel or hurt or have life pumping through their veins are scary, if you ask me. Fish is also unhealthy. It's fatty and has nearly as much cholesterol as other meat, so don't kid yourself.

Answer 4

I think it comes from the fact that fish are accepted as pareve. Some people put them on the same level as insects and some people feel that fish are more ethical to eat since wild-caught fish don't promote factory farming. But I agree, you are not vegetarian if you eat fish.

@ Roy C - a sea cucumber is an animal, it's just called a sea cucumber because it looks like a cucumber.

Answer 5

Good point. I think people only make excuses to suit their palate and/or assuage their guilt at eating animals.

Case in point: The Bengali Brahmins of India. The Brahmins of India are forbidden from eating any kind of meat, fish or eggs (dairy is allowed). However, the Bengali Brahmins eat seafood and call it "flower of the river" (literally)! Whether they truly believe fish are "flowers" or not, I don't know, but it is interesting to see the lengths to which people go to!

Answer 6

they're just hypocrites and don't really know what vegetarianism is all about. of course fish isn't a vegetable therefore people who claim to be vegetarian and still eat seafood are NOT vegetarian.

Answer 7

They both are Ideal for your health. If you eat both, you're better off. But yea, I've choose fruits because they taste better.

Answer 8

It is determined by the fruit or veg linked to a comparison. In the event that you compare a farrenheit to a carrot, the carrot is the better of the two nutritional. But once you compare an avocado to the carrot, then this avocado is better. Both equally the apple and avocado, are fruits.

Answer 9

YAY I am so glad this got posted. I even noticed someone yesterday call themselves a Lacto-Ovo-Pesca-Vegetarian! Give me a break! I swear, they just want to give themselve a title and fit in with a group.

Answer 10

I'm tired of those fake vegetarians who eat fish or chicken.

Why they call themselves "vegetarian" is beyond me.