Is it wrong to call myself a vegetarian but still eat fish?!


Question: Is it wrong to call myself a vegetarian but still eat fish?
I'm 15 and have been a vegetarian for about 6 months. I turned vegetarian because I feel as though animals shouldn't dies for me when I have numeroud other ways to eat and still be healthy. However I still eat fish because for some strange reason I feel as though it cannot be compared to an animal such as a cow or chicken. Is that wrong? Do all vegetarians not eat fish?

Answers:

Best Answer - Chosen by Voters

A vegetarian eats no meat at all, including chicken and fish.
A lacto-ovo vegetarian eats dairy products and eggs, but excludes meat, fish, and poultry.
A lacto vegetarian eats dairy products but not eggs.
An ovo vegetarian eats eggs but not dairy products.

So you should be a pescetarian who eats fish but not other meat.



I'm a vegetarian, have been for over 2 decades & no I do not eat fish.
A fish is an animal & I won't eat animals, if you wish you can call yourself a Pescetarian.
A person who eats JUST vegetables, seeds, nuts, grains usual vegetarian diet & fish.
See link below.
You're doing yourself & the over-sourced, often abused domesticated animals a favour.
If you can make an effort to avoid fish in future, then you can truly call yourself a vegetarian.

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



Well, I know this has been said many times already, but YES it is wrong.

Are you calling yourself vegetarian still because you really don't know? If so, you didn't do any research when you became "vegetarian" which I think is a mistake.

Are you calling yourself vegetarian because you think it's a nice label to have? If you aren't willing to commit, you shouldn't have the privilege of calling yourself vegetarian.

I say privilege because I am proud of who i am and the way i stand up for what i believe in.

Please, this is one of my biggest pet peeves. DO NOT call yourself vegetarian and eat fish. This also means clams, mussels, scallops, etc. All the fishies and seafood that don't have face are still animals, and if you are vegetarian, you don't eat these either.



Hello,
A vegetarian doesn't eat any animal, not fish, chicken, pig or even simple animals such as coral. If you do eat fish still it isn't too good to call your self a vegetarian because this confuses a lot of people - lot's of people in the world now think most or even all vegetarians eat fish which isn't true. This then affects vegetarians because we get served seafood for dinner when we go out, which isn't what we can eat. It's best to keep the definition clear and simple - someone who doesn't eat any animal (including fish).
Even saying 'i'm vegetarian but i eat fish' still confuses a lot of people. But don't worry people who just eat seafood have a special name for themselves - pescitarian.

If you do think fish don't suffer though, you should research about how fish are taken to your dinner plate because they undergo a lot of suffering, if not more than say your average cow. Despite what some people think, fish do have a nervous system and can feel pain, just like you, me and a chicken. A lot of people actually become pescitarian before becoming vegetarian as this is a better way to transition to no meat for your body.

Vegetarian trying to go vegan - if you want more info just send me a message.



Yes, it is horribly wrong. If you are not vegetarian than you shouldn't call yourself one. No vegetarians eat any flesh or bones or fat or anything from a dead animal. Fish still feel pain and suffer just like anyone else. Plus where they live is being horribly destroyed through waste dumping and runoff as well as pollution from boats and spills and everything else we dump into the water as well as over fishing (though technically all fishing is over fishing).

Not mentioning that fish is not healthy for you, the planet and especially not the fish.

You are still an omnivore who is limiting their intake of animal flesh which is a small step in a better direction but there is still a ways to go.

A pescetarian is a vegetarian fish I have a feeling anyone who is able to type is not a fish and therefore doesn't qualify for a fishy name.

vegan because animals are not property



No vegetarians eat fish. It is wrong, both ethically (fish suffer and die for you to eat them the same as any other living creature) and factually (the definition of vegetarian is someone who doesn't eat flesh).
I personally don't care what you choose to eat, but you can't say you don't eat one creature out of compassion but have no problem with a fish being yanked out of his watery world and suffocating to death for you to consume. It's hypocritical.



Although a fish is a fish and in my opinion it isn't the same thing as eating meat from a cow or chicken if you feel it is wrong to kill the cow or chicken but not the fish you shouldn't be a vegetarian. just like the cow lives and feels and breaths the fish does too. Just like the chicken lays an egg and watches over it the fish does too. So if you don't think the cow or chicken shouldn't die because there are other ways you can eat then what is really the difference with the fish it's just the same concept.



Yes, it's wrong because VEGETARIANS DON'T EAT FISH!!!! Fish are ANIMALS, and if you don't think animals should have to die for you, then FISH should not have to die for you. Fish feel pain, too, you know. And other animals die when large-scale fishing operations pillage the sea.

Let me put it simply: Vegetarians do not eat the flesh of animals. Fish are animals Vegetarians do not eat fish.

Stop eating fish or stop calling yourself a vegetarian.



Yes. The correct term for someone who eats no land animals but eats fish is a pescetarian.

With that being said, you're young. People make mistakes.

If you want to be a vegetarian, you should exclude all animals from your diet.

If you like fish, there are Asian markets that sell vegetarian imitation fish.

Boca, Morningstar Farms, Lightlife, Amy's Kitchen, Quorn, Worthington, Annie's Homegrown, Tofurky, and Tofutti are brands of vegetarian products that can be found at Stop & Shop, Pathmark, Shop Rite, and Whole Food/Health Food stores.

Burgerking has a BK Veggie burger.
Subway has a veggie patty sub.

Vegetarian



No, technically vegetarians can still eat fish. As a vegetarian I feel that fish and meat, chicken, etc are no different and choose not to eat fish or seafood. But that is my personal decision and you should eat what you want so long as you're comfortable with it. Maybe you could try not eating fish for a while and see how you feel after that.

I have friends that are vegetarians but still eat fish.



Fish are animals with a nervous system, brain, eyes, heart, blood, etc. I don't understand why anyone would think they are anything but animals.

I don't eat fish or any other animal. I don't consider people who eat animals to be vegetarians.

If you want to eat fish, eat fish. But please don't call yourself a vegetarian.



Yes it is wrong. Vegetarians do NOT eat fish. Fish are animals and they are treated horribly in order to become your "food". When people who eat fish call themselves "vegetarians," it creates problems for real vegetarians, because then people assume they eat fish and offer fish to them as a "vegetarian meal".

vegan :D



yea technically thats persciatarian but you can call yourself whatever you want. i know lots of vegetarians and vegans and ive never heard anyone make a stink about calling yourself vegetarian and eating some fish, except for on this website everyone will attack you about it because its filled with a bunch of high schoolers.



no, you are not a vegetarian.
So many of my friends offer me fish because far to many people say there a vegetarian and than eat fish. I KNOW SOME PEOPLE WHO EAT CHICKEN AND SAY THERE A VEGETARIAN! Its annoying. Its great that your making an effort, just take the final step and eliminate fish! They are still horribly treated, and feel pain. If it can move, and you eat it, your not a vegetarian.



It's wrong to eat fish as they have a need to survive too and have a full range of emotions that other pets have, although I condone you for making some kind of effort. A peskitarian is a stepping stone to becoming a real vegetarian.

Vegan



Technically a fish in an animal, but vegetarians still eat fish. It's hypocritical in my opinion.
That's why they divided into the vegan branch of fear of meats where you don't eat any products from animals.

Former PETA member.



vegetarians do not eat meat aka flesh and tissue of an animal. Eating fish would be eating flesh and tissue. Therefore, you are not a vegetarian. You are a Pescetarian.



"I turned vegetarian because I feel as though animals shouldn't dies for me" Animals are dying for you, fish are animals.

There are no vegetarians that eat fish, the only people that eat fish are meat eaters.



Vegetarian would be the wrong word for that diet, as vegetarians do not consume any animals. The word you're looking for is "pescatarian."



Sorry sweetie but you are not a vegetarian. Vegetarians do not eat any kind of animal.



Vegetarians don't eat animal flesh.

Fish are animals.

Change your habits, or the label you call yourself.

~a vegan....a REAL one~



It is wrong to call yourself a vegetarian, you must not eat any meat, or any once moving creature...



Yes. It is wrong. you're eating fish meat. A vegetarian eats no meat what so ever.



A fish is not a scaly vegetable. You are a pescatarian.



Your technically a Pescatarian since Vegetarians don't eat the flesh of ANY animal.



yes...



Yes, it is wrong. I don't necessarily think it is morally wrong, because it seems like you aren't intentionally lying, but it is incorrect. However, if you think an animal shouldn't die for you to eat, there is absolutely no reason whatsoever for you to eat fish. Fish definitely die when you eat them and eating fish exclusively often results in more animal deaths than eating other kinds of meat. (Think about it for a minute. If you order shrimp scampi, every single shrimp on there is an animal that died. A chicken, on the other hand, can feed a family. A cow can feed a family for months. Unless you are only eating the fish that weigh in at several pounds each, you are probably actually doing more damage. That isn't even taking into consideration by-catch.)

I'm guessing that you are under the impression that fish don't feel pain, or don't think, or something. This is absolutely incorrect. Numerous studies have found that fish feel pain. It's easy to find evidence that fish can learn (Mythbusters actually showed that goldfish can be trained.) There is also a growing body of evidence that fish have emotions, personalities, and develop relationships with one another.

That being said, now that you know that fish is definitely NOT part of a vegetarian diet, you should make a change. The correct term for you (a person who eats fish but no other kind of meat) is "pescetarian." It's one of the healthiest diets in the world (some would say the healthiest) and is becoming more and more recognizable. Even if your friends and family say, "What?" at first, but switching and using "pescetarian" you will be raising pescetarian awareness, for which vegetarians and pescetarians alike will thank you.

Another possibility is that you could just go vegetarian and stop eating all animals. It's not so hard. :-)

Shrimp by-catch (a bit old, but still kind of scary):
http://www.fao.org/docrep/w6602e/w6602E0…

Pain:
http://www.livescience.com/animals/09043…
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/200…
http://news.discovery.com/animals/fish-f…

Fish can learn:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=…
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/1403115/tr…

Fish have relationships and feelings:
http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section…
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article…

There are a lot more out there, just look!



I have a seafood allergy and can tell you I have been in plenty of places - like school camps for instance - where the vegetarians claim that they eat fish and want some. I could always swap my meal for a vegetarian one which I found very helpful. So to answer your question no it is not wrong to call yourself a vegetarian and still eat fish. Also some vegetarians still eat milk, cheese and eggs. But that is all.



No, that is fine. There are vegetarians that eat fish or still drink milk and eat eggs. Many people choose to eat the same way you do, and for the same reasons. Some self-proclaimed vegetarians even eat meat from time to time if they aren't too passionate about it.



it is not wrong to eat fish if you are a vegetarian. Fish has protein. and your body needs it. so don't feel bad about eating fish :)




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