Why do people hate veggies who eat fish?

Question

It seems that veggies who dont eat fish look down on us who do, whilst non veggies think were crazy and question why fish but not pig or chicken? Well i'll give you the answer, i'm a growing girl. I need my protein and iron! I dont always like to eat fish, but I do it so I grow normally. Also, fish are free and have a chance to live a happy life, unlike pigs and chicken who are destined to be eaten, and live sad little lives in cages being forced fed until they burst....

Any comment? Bring them on!

Answer 1

well, honestly, i don't hate "vegetarians" who eat fish, but they're misinformed.
a fish is still an animal, therefore a vegetarian wouldn't eat it.
you're considered a pescetarian.

also, i would be considered a growing girl.
i'm 15, and been vegetarian for 2 years already.
i'm perfectly healthy, and run track & cross country.

i don't know much about the fish market, because i've always hated seafood, so i never felt compelled to learn about it, so eh.

overall, if you want to eat fish, then do so.
but realize that it's not necessary or totally vegetarian.

Answer 2

Golden_Girl, I believe you sound like a young girl/early teen, so I am going to commend you for making the switch to a red-meat free diet so young in life. Good for you. And for the cows, chickens, pigs and so on.

Many vegans and vegetarians would also commend you for this choice. Nobody hates you. It is just somewhat annoying as a committed vegan or vegetarian to hear the term misused. There is no such thing as a fish eating vegetarian, that is redundant. I understand it may be easier for you to explain it to people in this way, but if that understanding spread it would cause problems for true vegetarians. For instance, in Disneyland in France, fish is served as a vegetarian meal.

You may not be aware, but fish are actually farmed quite cruelly and many are farmed in ways that they cannot swim an inch. Not all fish are captured from the open sea. There is also the question of barbarity when fish are caught with nets and hooks digging into their throats. So when true vegetarians are veg for the purpose of causing no harm to animals, and they hear a person including products which do come from animals cruelly, you can see where the annoyance comes from.

Most vegetarians are not vegetarian simply because they hate the idea of killing "cute" animals - they believe all animals great and small deserve a happy life.

You don't have to explain what you're doing to anybody, but why must you claim the vegetarian term? I think you're aware it doesn't apply to you.

One day you might like to research Animal Liberation philosophy, and true veg nutrition. Perhaps when you move out of home you'd like to become vegetarian too. It is good to see a young person caring for animals.

Answer 3

Since they like ground meat, the best thing you can do is make a meatloaf and hide the vegetables inside. Just cut them up real small, and you can sneak in zucchini,and peppers...and then serve with carrots and mashed potatoes. Tomato sauce is really good for you, so make a cheeseburger pizza. Try Barilla Pasta Plus (in the yellow box)..it's a multi-grain pasta that has added protien, fiber, and omega-3...and the best thing is it actually tastes as good as regular white pasta. Don't give up on them. Did you know a child has to try something an average of 7 times before they decide they like it or not? Make a new veggie every week, and offer some little reward if they eat it. I used to call it the "Fear Factor Game"...I figured if kids know some idiot will eat pig intestines for 100 grand, they can eat a brussel sprout for a dollar. Have your kids prepare dinner with you. Sometimes if they help make it, they'll be more inclined to eat it, since they know what's going into it.

Answer 4

Well, first of I'd like to congratulate for being enlightened into the terrible suffering of animals, such as cows, pigs, sheep etc. But I don't agree with you calling yourself a vegetarian when you are clearly not. Fish suffer just as bad as other farmed animals. Being dredged up out of the sea in huge net and then left to suffocate on the deck of a boat is hardly leisurely, is it? I don't think tuna enjoy being speared either, nor do swordfish for that matter.
Just because fish are a lot smaller does not mean they suffer any less.
I managed to grow up perfectly well when I was kid without eating fish. I haven't got 4 arms or stunted growth from not eating it. There are so many dietry supplements on today's market that you can get all your vitamins out of a bottle- which is not as tasty, but it is a lot more humane.
Don't call yourself a vegetarian. It makes the real vegetarians' efforts look like the biggest waste of time ever.

Answer 5

there are several issues you've raised there. Some vegetarians and vegans will always take a moral high ground about what they eat compared with what others do. I personally couldn't care less what you eat I eat a Vegan diet for personal reasons and don't expect others to share them just to respect them.
The other issues are the "facts" you've raised protein is available from seeds nuts pulses and beans. Iron from plenty of sources including green leafy veg. secondly most fish on the market are farmed in similar ways to other animals the only difference being their confined space is in water. even wild fish don't stand a chance as people like them to be a certain size and shape killed when they are too young to have this idyllic life you portray. However as I said before I don't care what you eat but since your intonation implies you want to fight about something I'm sure others will

Answer 6

Because vegetarians by definition do not eat fish. They are the same as any other living thing and I think it's pretty mean to judge them just for not being as furry or cute as a cow, pig or dog.

Also a lot of the fish people eat is farmed and I think that if it comes from the sea that's even worse. Humans think we can just trawl the oceans killing everything in our paths. The fish from the sea still suffer, feel pain and then die just for the benefit of people's tastebuds. Yes you may be a growing girl but there are other sources of protein... you just need to be dedicated enough to find out the best way to achieve this. After the initial work it really isn't hard at all, especially if you're not a vegan. There are even vegan bodybuilders so the fact you are still growing isn't much of an excuse.

Ultimately you can eat what you want... we're not here to judge but many might find it annoying that you categorize yourself as a vegetarian when you are not.

Answer 7

And while we're on the subect, vegetarians won't wear leather either, in shoes, coats or any other items.
Being vegetarian is not limited to what we eat - it is also an ethical approach to all living creatures and their right to life...it annoys me when I ring restaurants to ask what they can serve me as a vegetarian and they say 'we do a lovely tuna bake' or 'we have a prawn cocktail' or a 'seafood platter'. That proves to me that they don't understand the concept of vegetarianism so would probably serve me cheese with rennet, or fries cooked in something other than vegetable oil....it is not an easy option being veggie, but to be a vegetarian is a life choice and I am glad I made it. I remember many years ago hearing a very young vegetarian saying that she was not prepared to eat anything that ever had a face....lovely sentiment...

Answer 8

The definition of vegetarian doesn't include animals, which fish happen to be.

The issue is that people in general do not learn the real definition of vegetarian. So when I ask what vegetarian dish a restaurant has and they tell me about the fish it is very confusing for everyone and some people can get angry or embarrassed about the issue. It just makes for a big mess in communication. Language is used to make communication clear not more confusing, which means the definition of words are supposed to be constant.

Answer 9

I don't think anybody would hate you for it but if you eat fish/seafood you aren't actually a vegetarian, you are a pescetarian.

Unfortunately, not all fish are free and swim around in their happy little lives...a lot are farmed and anyway, the fishermen/women still drag them out of their natural habitat and let them flop around, on decks etc slowing dying and being starved of their natural oxygen.

If fish aren't cute enough for that to make any impact...what about all the poor dolphins that are killed and maimed when they get caught in fishing nets?

I certainly don't hate you for eating fish (despite being a non-fish eating veggie myself) but I don;t think you should call yourself a vegetarian if you you are not one...that's probably what gets up everybody's nose!

Answer 10

I don't hate those who eat fish but not meat and neither do any other vegetarians I know.

I do find it irrating though when some of these people call themselves vegetarians because they're not.

Vegetarians don't any eat animals. Fish by definition are animals - they're vertebrate animals that live in water and are just as capable of suffering as any other creature.

When caught they either die by crushing, suffocation or even cut open alive on the decks of the ship. Not exactly humane.