What is your true feeling in regards to pescetarians?

Question

Or pesco-vegetarians... or whatever you want to call them. Essentially, one who follows mainly a vegetarian diet but occasionally will eat seafood.

Do you think they're horrible people because they're not willing to go full veg? Do you badger them on a fairly regular basis, asking them why they must think fish aren't living creatures? Meat eaters especially ask the latter question... which I personally consider funny. Why would they even be concerned with how a veg, or a mostly-veg, conducts their life when they're not ashamed at all of their own diet? (And I'm not saying they have reason to be ashamed- people choose their own lifestyles and I do not fault them for that.)

Does it seem strange to you that some people are willing to go mostly veg but not all the way?

I've been between pesco and full veg for years, and I have settled at pesco for the time being... I suppose mainly for family gatherings, where there are family members who are very critical of what I eat.

The "why do you feel fish aren't living creatures, and that it's OK to eat them" argument has come up by many men I've previously dated, who are carnivores. It used to offend me but now I just roll my eyes.

Majnun- don't worry. I know the definition of a true vegetarian, and that I am not one!

oh and... I got the term "pesco-vegetarian" from Suzanne Havala's book "The Idiot's Guide to Being Vegetarian". She's supposedly an expert on the subject... I didn't make the term up.

Answer 1

People who the only meat they eat is fish are fine with me.

I don't badger anyone else, so I can't see why I would badger those who eat fish.

Nope they are not horrible, they are making a great step and doing a good thing.

Nope, it does not seem strange to me that some people go part way. Working toward your beliefs is a great thing, and no one should judge you for it. We are all making steps toward what we believe in.

If it makes you feel better, families judge and are mean to vegetarians and vegans as well. People don't like when you make moral decisions that disagree with their lifestyles. They will find any way to poke holes into your choices because then they will never have to think of what they are doing.

However, people who eat fish may be starting to be called "pescatarians," and maybe that will even be in the dictionary some day. However, they are not "pesco-vegetarians" or any kind of vegetarian. Vegetarians are simply people who do not eat animals. This is not a judgment, but proper use of the word. It screws up the word and people get confused and start offering us fish (and sometimes even chicken!)

:D

Good luck and congrats with your choices.
Don't let the family bring you down.

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EDIT- Thanks for the tip on the book; I will have to check it out.
However, I can't bring myself to consider anyone an expert who claims that vegetarians eat animals (simply by adding an animal prefix), when not eating animals is specifically what vegetarianism is.

It would be like reading considering a botanist who calls rocks (or fish) "plants" to be an expert, or credible for that matter.

Instead it seems like someone is trying to make a quick buck by turning a lifestyle into a fad.

I think I will stick with The Vegetarian Society (actual experts) on this one and say that those who eat fish are great, but they are not a type of vegetarian.

While the situation with your meat-eating family sounds bad, I think that for the most part, those who eat fish are only "looked down on" or "badgered" by vegetarians when they pretend to be a type of vegetarian themselves. It isn't the fish eating that bothers vegetarians at all.
:)

Answer 2

Your diet is your choice that should not be harming your health and well being in long run. Check if you are eating a balanced diet. There are regions around the world near the water bodies (lakes, lagoons, seacoasts) where fish is main staple - some of these practices originated in ancient time out of necessity of survival of human life. Fish also is a good source of Omega3. I rather see a person eating fish instead of taking capsules of Omega3, if possible. So, you see there is no harm not being "full vegetarian".
Any effort to change is better than nothing, so just appreciate without mocking.
Vegetables are living organisms. But when you pluck the vegs from the plant, you need to when they ripe otherwise they will rot/die, the plant does not die and regenerates the more of the same whereas other life forms die - The belief of vegetarians due to religious reasons.
The changes in lifestyle should be gradual. So, your approach is much better than swining like a pendulum. I have seen some people who suddenly change to vegetarianism overnight for one or the other reason, go through certain deficiencies, sometimes very serious.
I don't badger people for such changes, I believe in case the changes don't suit the person, the person should return to the original habits.
I am strict vegetarian, don't eat eggs, but when I travel I eat some breakfast items knowing very well the batter will have eggs. Also, I cooked meat, fish everything for children while they were growing up. I am just defining my lifestyle that suits me best, not trying to fit in one or the other cubbyhole described a single word.
Best of luck.

Answer 3

I agree that people are free to choose what they eat, but I personally do not approve of the pesco-vegetarian concept. It is not the fact that one is not willing to commit to a vegetarian lifestyle that I disapprove of, it is that one does not put fish on the same level as other animal. I believe that fish can feel pain like other animals we eat, though it may be at a slightly lower level. However, fish are by no means treated humanely (one may argue that many fish are treated worse than other factory farm animals) and, although I won't go into the gruesome details, I think the fact that fish can feel pain and are treated horribly is reason enough to support the rights of this creature. Thus, I would completely agree with your decision if you believed/knew that fish actually were not abused and that they could not feel pain, but, assuming you believe they do, I must say that I disagree with your decision.

Answer 4

I have no issue whatsoever with the choice to eat no flesh except fish. My mom has been a (for lack of a better word) pescetarian as long as I've been vegetarian and I've never given her any flack for it. I do have an issue with the misuse of the word vegetarian to describe people who still eat fish, but my mom has never, ever called herself veg. I think any effort in the direction of vegetarianism is good so, even though I personally think eating fish is wrong, I'm not going to criticize someone for making that choice. The language is my only gripe. If the word "vegetarian" can mean whatever the hell someone wants it to mean, it effectively means nothing at all.

Answer 5

I was a full vegetarian for several decades before I became a pescatarian on the advice of my doctor, as a temporary measure.

And I sometimes call myself a "vegetarian who also eats fish/seafood" because it communicates effectively my limits. I cannot eat mamals, birds, reptiles, or any ingredients dervived from those sources; a lot of seafood cooking might include that, if I did not use (with qualifiers) the word "vegetarian".

I find it curious how some vegetarians here want to protect the label vegetarian; I really would like to understand why...? Is vegetarianism a religion? (Please, do not feel obliged to educate me on religious roots of SOME vegetarian practice; I am extremely well read on that subject; when I ask, is vegetarianism a religion I mean just that, NOT an expression or discipline which is part of various religions' cultures.) Is vegetarianism an achievement or credential? To me, it is merely a functional description.

Answer 6

If this is what you feel is the best diet for you, that's your decision. I'm sure you know about the benefits and hazards of eating fish (the mercury issue) and that fish are not treated kindly.

As long as you don't call yourself a vegetarian or pesco-vegetarian, I don't mind. This is why I don't hate the made-up word "flexitarian" too much. If someone who eats no flesh but fish calls herself a flexitarian, that's better than her erroneously calling herself a vegetarian.

Answer 7

People should be free to follow their own dietary choices.

as a vegetarian, I have no problems iwth pescetarians.. as long as they don't call themselves vegetarian. THen I have a slight problem, because this is an increasing problem that is causing alot of confusion. Fish has ALWAYS been defined as meat until very recently when people have started to try to change the definition of "meat" to allow them to keep eating fish and be lumped in with "vegetarians" (I'm assuming because vegetarianism is "cool") but "Vegetarian" has ALWAYS meant that you didn't eat cow, pig, fish, birds.. ANY Animal. I do resent people trying to change the definition now.

But if they don't try to call themselves "vegetarian" I have no problem with people eating fish. I see them as trying to eat healthier by cutting out the other meats, and that is to be applauded.

Answer 8

I don't care what they eat.

They are people that don't eat red meat or poultry.

They don't need a special word to describe their diet.

"Pescetarian" is a confusing neologism and "pesco-vegetarian" is outright nonsense and a complete oxymoron.

I don't understand how an adult would let their family's criticism affect their personal choices. Criticizing the way someone chooses to eat is rude and it is illogical to give in to rude behavior for many reasons including the fact that it encourages it. As an adult, there should be need to uphold personal beliefs instead of caving to unjustifiable pressure.

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I've never heard of any Suzanne Havala. She sounds like an idiot.

Answer 9

There are no rules to what you eat. Almost everything you eat was living at one point. Vegetables are living organisms, but they are not animals. Fish are animals. I don't eat fish because they are animals. I call myself a vegetarian and call those who eat fish, but not other meat, pescetarians.
If you are a vegetarian for animal rights reasons, you will eventually realize that a vegan diet is optimal for the cause. But the decision is yours to make for yourself.

Answer 10

Do i think they're horrible people because they're not willing to go full veg? Absolutely not

Does it seem strange to me that some people are willing to go mostly veg but not all the way? No because some people want to improve their diet without a full-on chagne