I stopped eating "meat" (pigs cows...ect) because of the farming industries and the horrible way they torcher animals - it makes me sick.But i dont see the big deal about eating fish and other sea dwellers like crabs and lobsters.
Why do some of you not eat fish and ect.- besides the reasoning that all life deserves a chance,its murder and the like.To me fish is not meat. :dizzy:

Because Fish are animals just as much as we and cows and pigs are. The also have central nervous systems, thus they have a conciousness and can feel pain.

Granted eating only seafood was my parlay into become a full on vegetarian.

Simply put, because fish and seafood are animals, not plants, and vegetarians don't eat animals of any kind, including sea/marine animals.

To vegetarians, fish is most definitely considered meat.

Partly beacuse fish are animals like all the others. Partly beacuse they have mercury and all the otehr yucky stuff in them.. And partly beacuse of all the damage that fishing does to the world!

Let me start by congratulating you on coming this far! It is totally your decision on how you proceed from here and what you choose to consume.

Do research on how fish are caught and the devistation it causes to the oceans and reef systems. Also there is a huge "by catch" issue surrounding the fishing industry. Mercury levels are an issue if you are consuming certain species several times per month.

My main reason (as this was my last holdout) was the amount of cholestrol in fish and more so in seafood such as lobster and shrimp. It caused my levels to sky rocket and they wanted to put me on meds. Going Vegan was essential to keeping my levels well within normal ranges.

They eat. They sh**t. That's reason enough for me. :D

My reply is basically what Amy SF has already said, but I'd like to add that they are beautiful, graceful beings. To hack up and devour such a creature is not something I support. They deserve to be at peace and have life just as much as anyone or anything else does.

My reply is basically what Amy SF has already said, but I'd like to add that they are beautiful, graceful beings. To hack up and devour such a creature is not something I support. They deserve to be at peace and have life just as much as anyone or anything else does.

Also, because I equate the yanking of fish out of the water and allowing it to die a torturous death on the bottom of a fishing boat with the horrific torture and slaughter of other food animals, such as cows, chickens and pigs. It is a callous and cruel taking of non human life.

you're right
fish isnt meat
its a dead body.. if youre eating it

but really. I dont see how fishes are any different than pigs...
people have them as pets, and its not right to eat a cat is it? so why eat a fish :(

To me fish is not meat

May I ask you to elaborate on this more? Why is fish not meat? What makes it different?

Okay- Did research.... If you switched for health reasons, take into consideration that farmed fish, which makes up almost all fish sold, unless its actually marked 'wild' and in that case is very expensive, has just as many antibiotics and other meds in it as beef, pigs, etc. Salmon, in particular, are raised in tiny underwater cages that are so cramped, that they litarally swim around in their own waste, so therefore are pumped full of antibiotics in order to prevent or treat disease. (Some of these fish, though, manage to escape before the antibiotics are administered, and pass on disease to other sea life. So even the 'wild' fish are a lot of times contaminated.) The fish that are harvested then from these cages are pale, so they inject red dye to make them seem healthy, and they are often blind. Shrimp and other shellfish are 'bottom feeders' which means they eat other fish's crap, so essentially, YOU are eating crap. Let me know if you want more info, I'm full of it. :)

I oppose eating fish for several reasons.

The same ethical criteria for not eating an animal apply to fish too.

It was alluded to above by SeaSiren, the commercial fishing industry is non-sustainable.

Long-line fishing has many victims that are not targets of fisherman, ie birds.

Commercial fishing, besides long-line fishing, kills many non-target species that die and are disposed off back into the water. For example, shrimp vessels are helping to greatly reduce sea turtle populations; they get caught in nets and drown.

To me fish is not meat.

If it isn't meat, what is it?

I don't eat fish or other seafood because I don't eat the flesh of any animals. I think it's a bit strange to refuse to eat other animals, but continue to eat fish - especially if you are vegetarian for animal-rights/welfare related reasons.

Plus, I didn't eat fish when I was an omni. I think it tastes disgusting.

I don't eat any animals includeing animals that live in water becuz to me they are the same as humans, animals are animals no matter they live in land or water they breath, they eat, they bleed, they feel pain, all animals are the same. if a person eats one animal but not another it seems odd to me cuz I don't see the point of that, if you beleave eating mammals is wroung why not fish? it don't make since to me. I have pets includeing goldfish,a bird, a dog and a rabbit. they all show inteligents in fact I think my fish are even smarter then some humans I know and thats not a joke. I watch my fish interact with each other and see that they are smarter then other people give them credit.
I look at a fish breed that a human would eat and I see my funny little oranda goldfish, I see him and his children swiming in my tank happyly snacking on plants and exsploreing their world. I look at a fish sandwich and see an animal no different then my spoiled pets.



Plus, I didn't eat fish when I was an omni. I think it tastes disgusting.
yeah, in agreement of that for sure


people have them as pets, and its not right to eat a cat is it? so why eat a fish
I only know a few people who have eaten a goldfish(frankly im surrpised I know any but..)

I would just like to say that you can't really call yourself a vegetarian anymore than I can, but I still do because no one knows what "pescetarian" means. Plus it seems to piss off both real vegetarians AND non vegetarians. I do not feel good about eating fish, but instead of going cold turkey (ok I guess turkey isn't really the right word) I figured eating fish and seafood would be my gateway into vegetarianism and eventually veganism. I try not to eat fish and everything I eat I either pulled out of a river and hit with a bonker myself or watched a friend or family member catch. I only catch what I am going to eat and there is no bycatch (other than some sticks and grass). I say cudos for coming this far and perhaps like me one day you will give up seafood too? And as for one day, I've only been pescetarian for 7 days now and am already thinking I really don't need the fish. (I've only had a little bit of salmon that my Uncle Tony pulled out of the Skeena River)

I once saw a short film starring Ewan McGregor where he was walking through a desert, and he sees this chocolate eclair, and he's so hungry, he hasn't eaten for days, so he runs up to eat it, he takes a bite and it tastes good. And then a big hook comes and rips the side of his mouth and drags him off into the sea.

I don't see the difference bewtween eating fish and any other animal.

I don't look at my diet as "not eating meat." I think of it as a plant-based diet. Obviously, fish & shellfish are not plants.

I don't eat fish because I'm a vegan and vegetarians don't eat any meat. Wether you believe it or not, fish is meat. Meat is the edible flesh of an animal, fish are animals...I could go on. Also suffocating an animal to death doesn't sound to pleasing to me...

Same goes for lobsters etc. Even if I wasn't allergic to shellfish as an omnivore i still couldn't handle the idea of shoving a live animal into a pot and boiling it alive...

Why do some of you not eat fish and ect.- besides the reasoning that all life deserves a chance,its murder and the like.To me fish is not meat. :dizzy:

Fish may not be considered meat by many people (I'm thinking of individuals that may embrace Catholicism or other Christian faiths where fish is not considered meat), but fish and other sea creatures are still animals--they have central nervous systems, meaning they can feel pain. To be yanked out of your home with a hook in your jaw sounds to me a very painful way to die. Then, to sit hours out of the water suffocating to death is torture. IMHO, no creature deserves to die that way just so I can put food in my belly.

The fishing industry is very cruel (they may not always use hooks and fishing line like a "sports" fisherman might), but they still pull fish and other sea creatures away from their home, and pulling them into an environment where they can't really breathe and then they live for hours, sometimes days, before they die. Plus these beautiful animals aren't very healthy to eat. They're full of mercury, and any other toxins that they may be swimming around with and are high in cholesterol. Commercial fishing is very damaging to the environment as well.

That aside, if eating fish and other sea creatures are the only animal you still eat as you strive to become a veg*n, that's great. Please don't call yourself a vegetarian, though, until you stop eating sea creatures completely, though, because by definition, you're not a vegetarian. It confuses far too many people who think that consider fish (and even poultry) as vegetarian food. The proper term for you right now would be pescetarian. :)

Okay- Did research.... If you switched for health reasons, take into consideration that farmed fish, which makes up almost all fish sold, unless its actually marked 'wild' and in that case is very expensive, has just as many antibiotics and other meds in it as beef, pigs, etc. Salmon, in particular, are raised in tiny underwater cages that are so cramped, that they litarally swim around in their own waste, so therefore are pumped full of antibiotics in order to prevent or treat disease. (Some of these fish, though, manage to escape before the antibiotics are administered, and pass on disease to other sea life. So even the 'wild' fish are a lot of times contaminated.) The fish that are harvested then from these cages are pale, so they inject red dye to make them seem healthy, and they are often blind. Shrimp and other shellfish are 'bottom feeders' which means they eat other fish's crap, so essentially, YOU are eating crap. Let me know if you want more info, I'm full of it. :)


I would like more information please! I'm currently trying to stop eating fish and have been trying to learn more.Thanks!

Fish are naaaasty! Heh.

Over-fishing is a serious problem though.

May I ask you to elaborate on this more? Why is fish not meat? What makes it different?
I just think of fish and meat as separate things...maybe its my Catholic upbringing.Its always been "fish,meat,grains,veggies,fruit"...separate.Fish to me tastes feels and looks totally different than cows.eating a fellow mammal is like cannabalism to me.When i think of killing a land animal my heart jumps..when i think of killing a fish - it doesnt bother me.When i imagine a cow in a field doin his thing,i see him with emotion.When i imagine a fish swimming around, i just see it without emotion floating around.i know that if i identified more with fish i wouldnt eat fish.Im asking veggies on this board why they dont eat fish so i can justify to myself why i should stop too...cause i do care.

Okay- Did research.... If you switched for health reasons, take into consideration that farmed fish, which makes up almost all fish sold, unless its actually marked 'wild' and in that case is very expensive, has just as many antibiotics and other meds in it as beef, pigs, etc. Salmon, in particular, are raised in tiny underwater cages that are so cramped, that they litarally swim around in their own waste, so therefore are pumped full of antibiotics in order to prevent or treat disease. (Some of these fish, though, manage to escape before the antibiotics are administered, and pass on disease to other sea life. So even the 'wild' fish are a lot of times contaminated.) The fish that are harvested then from these cages are pale, so they inject red dye to make them seem healthy, and they are often blind. Shrimp and other shellfish are 'bottom feeders' which means they eat other fish's crap, so essentially, YOU are eating crap. Let me know if you want more info, I'm full of it. :)

Thank you !!!:up: you really helped me to understand.

I just think of fish and meat as separate things...maybe its my Catholic upbringing.Its always been "fish,meat,grains,veggies,fruit"...separate.Fish to me tastes feels and looks totally different than cows.eating a fellow mammal is like cannabalism to me.When i think of killing a land animal my heart jumps..when i think of killing a fish - it doesnt bother me.When i imagine a cow in a field doin his thing,i see him with emotion.When i imagine a fish swimming around, i just see it without emotion floating around.i know that if i identified more with fish i wouldnt eat fish.Im asking veggies on this board why they dont eat fish so i can justify to myself why i should stop too...cause i do care.

:) Cool...

I agree with you that fish does not taste or look like other meat, but it is meat nonetheless: Meat is the muscle of an animal. Whether it is a beefsteak or a fish filet, it is some animal's muscle. Remember, the meat of birds and reptiles, such as alligators does not look like mammal meat either.

Most of us do not relate to creatures who live outside of our environment. We do not reside in the depths of lakes or the oceans ourselves, so it is very difficult for us to see the social structures and intelligent acts that fish participate in. Many species of fish are more intelligent than small mammals.

But the entire reason I do not eat any animal has little to do with how it looks, tastes, etc. The reason I do not eat animals is because they are sentient, feeling beings. Eating something that is aware of it's own existence (become familiar with some larger goldfish like you will see in fish ponds and you will start to see some sentience there -- they really aren't machines) and that is biologically programmed to protect its own existence is as cruel in my eyes. I see their life as being worth as much as mine.

Yes, a snail's life really is worth as much as my own.