Talk to me about pescitarianism

[BootMaker]

I understand veganism, I understand vegetarianism.

I do not understand pescitarianism.

Explain it to me.

I can see the logic, in that there are degrees of bad. Lots of meat eaters would be horrified at eating horse or dog, for example. None of my friends who grew up on farms eat lamb, though they eat other meat. I could personally understand drawing a line at fellow mammals, that makes sense to me, though I am a meat eater currently.

My DC (8) is a pescatarian, as he wanted to stop eating meat and doesn't like much quorn. I agreed to let him be pescatarian as a compromise, to make sure he is eating well, and he accepted that.

I've been a vegetarian most of my life , never wanted to eat animals as a child, and it just got easier and easier food wise, but much later on in life i discovered that there are things in fish that older bodies, especially women's, need, which are difficult to get any other way. So in the interests of my health I'm now a pescatarian , certain kinds of fish once or twice a week.
Its not complicated. Most fish are caught in the wild, so have had normal lives, i can cope with that as a compromise. Will never eat meat though.

Considerably cheaper to be vegetarian, as long as you’re relying on pulses and beans and seasonal fruit and vegetables, not expensive convenience products, fake meat products, ready meals etc .

farmed salmon?

I've eaten whale.

I know what that means.

I met a pair of pescitnarians today that thought that was fine because whales aren't mammals because they haven't got fur...

A pescatarian eats no meat, but does eat fish.

Ok.

Whales aren't fish

???

I'm interested in the distinction.

I know.

Ah OK @Zov !

I am really confused! Is it just me who is confused on here?! 😆

I was speaking with someone recently who described themselves as a pescatarian vegetarian. But it’s not is it ? If they are eating a once living thing then they are not vegetarians are they ?

Exactly. If you eat fish, you can't call yourself a vegetarian.

A pescatarian vegetarian doesn't exist.

Most people’s preference are just that: preferences. Take omnivores who would “never” wear fur: a chicken will feed you for maybe 8 meals but a fur stole made from one mid-sized mammal will last decades if stored correctly. So as far as I see it, a person who wears fur gets far more utility from of one animal’s unnecessary death than the person eating a chicken sandwich for lunch. But I don’t do either. It’s just a preference.

For us it's a compromise - DS would love to be vegetarian as he hates the thought of cruelty to animals. But he's such a picky eater it would make his diet too restrictive. So until he develops a bit more flexibiliity on protein sources I I have insisted that he keeps on having fish, he's not entirely happy with the idea but not unhappy enough to start eating tofu etc!

This is why I'm an ambiguous omnivore.

It's up to everybody to choose for themselves what they eat; but I never understand people who somehow believe that fish isn't meat: the flesh of a sentient animal that is killed to be eaten by humans as food.

There's no special word for people who are technically omnivore but the only meat they ever choose to eat is chicken; so how come there's a word for omnivores who don't choose to eat any other meat than fish?

I presume that pescetarians simply make that choice purely based on what tastes or textures they like, rather than on any ethical considerations - as they are obviously willingly eating meat: dead animals that have been killed for food, just like others do with beef, pork, lamb, turkey etc.

Prawn curry
Prawn linguine
Prawn risotto
Paella
Fish pie
Garlic prawns
Thai prawn curry
YUM! 🦐🦐🦐🦐🦐

Because it's nonsensical

I agree!

........cause fish live a free life and aren’t farmed

Tell that to the fish in the fish farm up the road from my house.

Fish is less inflammatory on your digestive system. Some people give up meat for digestive health but continue to eat fish for added variety/options and nutrition. I spose you don't really care though as you are just here to goad

My parents and brother are pescatarian. They are actually religious Jews and fish doesn’t count as meat so they can eat it alongside their milk and cheese etc. Of course there’s no logic to it, but that’s how religious rules usually are. My brother in particular really struggled to keep his protein intake high enough as he can’t have a lot of dairy so being pescatarian works for him from a health perspective as well.

And no, no shellfish or seafood besides actual fish as none of that is kosher.

I don't buy farmed fish.