POLL: Fish and Vegaterians

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Are vegaterians hypocrites for eating fish?

Poll Information
This poll contains 1 question(s). 23 user(s) have voted.
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Poll Results: Fish and Vegaterians (23 votes.)

Are vegetarians hypocrites for eating fish? (Choose 1)
* Yes - 74% (17)
* No - 26% (6)

 

If their reason for being a vegetarian is because they don't want animal suffering/whatever other high moral motivations they might have in that regard - yes. I imagine that fish suffer quite a deal when on a hook...

 

I can't answer the question because it's not a yes-or-no matter. Not all vegetarians eat fish. Vegans consume no animal products at all, even honey AFAIK, and don't wear any leather.

As Aik said, it depends on their motivation.

 

I'm with Rally on this one. A strict vegetarian uses no animal products as far as I know. Some people have given up many animal products for health reasons. To repeat: As Aik says, depends on the motivation.

 

well the poll was only a wee bit of fun...

But I do want to say that as far as I am concerned any variety of fish have more in common with cows than they do with a head of lettuce or a loaf of bread.

 

There was some argument before over whether fish actually 'suffered' when they were caught - some believed they couldn't physically feel pain, at least from the hook... I can't remember the details of the debate. I don't have the knowledge to refute it, but it'd take some strong evidence to convince me they were right.

As far as I'm concerned fish suffer as much as do other animals when caught and killed. On a wider scale, they're under a great deal more threat than cattle or chicken, as certain species are overfished to the point of extinction. The use of drag-nets, as well as finer nets to catch younger fish is just as deplorable as the battery farming techniques used with cattle and chicken, from the point of view of the welfare of the species as a whole.

For those vegetarians who refuse meat by choice on grounds of animal suffering, it is hypocritical - as much so as those pseudo-veggies who think it's fine to say "Oh, I'm a vegetarian, but I eat bacon."

Again, it's not a yes or no answer though - I've known someone who was a vegetarian, but actually farmed cattle. He couldn't eat any meat without being ill, but happily ate fish and everything else. I can't call him a hypocrite as well, his principles were sound enough.

 

If vegans don't eat any living thing, then why do they eat plants? PLants are living things, they have to die for you to eat them

 

I wouldn't eat fish whether I'm a veggie or not. It's the food of the devil.

 

The way the nervous system of fish is built, they don't experience the same degree of pain as mammals do. However, IMHO vegeterianism is more often about being cool and trendy or unique than about any serious thought about animals.

 

Shell as a good point, plants are living creature too. You just can't eat without killing something.

As far as I concern, it depend on choice, but fish still suffer, anyway and Fish are animal too.

But I guess it depend

 

Grains - they're the processed products of seeds collected from plants that have reached the natural end of their life cycle, so they can be eaten without any human-imposed death.

Eggs - some philospohical vegetarians will eat eggs collected from free-range hens. I doubt caviar would count, since that usually requires the death of the fish - doesn't it?

Honey - same as eggs, can be collected without harming the animal.

Fruits (including tomatoes and squashes) and nuts - like grains, these can be collected without causing the death of a plant. Actually, the seeds within MUST be collected for the plant species to continue.

And there is one organ "meat" that some vegetarians will consume, under the idea that it's the only "meat" that's freely given. Bonus points to the first person to guess.

Hint - it's not something you will ever see in a grocery.

 

Look, I'm a Vege-MacEgg, and I won't eat fish. It's a personal decision, and so long as it has a sound basis, and is not just imitation, then I am quite happy with it.

Personally, it doesn't hurt the cow to give milk, so if you have your own cow, or know of a place that treats them humanly, I don't see a problem with it. As for eggs, Cage-Free Farmfresh or our own.

Yes, I would eat only fruit, but, my body can not fully sustain itself on fruit. Yeah, it's selfish, but I'm betting that a whole lot of you eat meat, so back-off. I see myself compared to fruitarians the same way you compare yourselves to Veggie-MacEggs.

 

Rally - do vegetarians really eat hair?

Barmy - there's nothing like a nice piece of panfried snapper.

Cúchulainn - people can eat whatever they want. There's no hypocrisy involved.

 

In Hinduism, Brahmins are supposed to avoid eating meat. But some Bengali Brahmins (coming from a region where fish is an important part of the diet) long ago hit upon the idea of classifying fish as a "sea vegetable". Hey, why not?

 

I agree with Rally and Nakia.

 

I'm a vegetarian, I don't eat fish, but I drink milk. Those who doesn't eat or drink ANYTHING from the animal life are vegans, those who doesn't eat or drink ANYTHING that have lived as a sentinent being are vegetarians. Eat no animals except fish, then you are not a vegetarian. Therefore, yes, it's hypocritical to eat fish as a vegetarian.

You have NO idea how wrong you are, if Poland is anything alike Sweden. Seriously, no ****ing clue.

 

Leaf lettuce can be harvested without killing the plant. Melons are freely given. A broccoli plant will continue to live if harvested properly. Beans and peas are a seed. Marigold, nasturtiums and pansy flowers are eatable. I'm sure there are a lot more.

 

I don't get how anyone can argue that sea-food (fish, shrimp, crab, etc.) is veg. So if you eat that, you can't be a vegetarian. Clubbing milk, honey with meat is really odd. Some people don't consider eggs to be non-veg. Feh! Whatever.

@Bion
You have no idea. I was in Calcutta a couple of years back and asked the canteen cook to get me a light veg lunch. What I found instead was a fish head in a curry with mustard flavouring He never misunderstood me again.

 

I think fish are/is meat. Although I take a more literal outlook on the word 'vegetarian'. My friend Steven is one and says he is because his roommates couldn't afford meat.

Also, this question made this cartoon pop in my head.

 

Thanks, Nakia, I knew there were a few more veggies that didn't require destructive harvesting. What about stalks like celery and rhubarb - can the root be left intact, to keep producing? And what about root veggies? Is there any point to NOT harvesting the vegetable once it's reached maturity? If the plants are annuals and not perennials, wouldn't it be wasteful to NOT eat the vegetable?

My MIL is vegetarian but will eat fish, dairy, and eggs, and will even use chicken broth to make soups. For her it's about nutrition rather than ethics. We have some friends who are vegan for ethical reason (and completely non-obnoxious about their choice), and I've known other vegetarians throughout the tears. What I've noticed is that those who do it for trendiness' sake never last past their first craving for a bacon cheeseburger.