Talk to me about pescitarianism

[BootMaker]

I understand veganism, I understand vegetarianism.

I do not understand pescitarianism.

Explain it to me.

Ah no, religious Jews don't eat shellfish. They do eat fish, boned fish.

DH is a pescatarian. He doesn't like the texture of meat and is also concerned about the most sentient animals such a pigs who do appear to understand what is happening. He doesn't eat lots of fish but it gives him a lot more options eating out so he isn't forced to eat vegan processed stuff or mushrooms which he doesn't like. It also makes it easier for us to eat as a family as the rest of us are omnivores.

YABU

Not to hijack the thread, but may I ask what things those are? I'm aware that plant-based omega 3 is probably not ideal, I currently take an algae-based supplement.

What don't you understand? They don't eat meat but they eat fish.

Jeez, you need to learn some manners!

Barking orders at people to ‘explain it to me!’. You are beyond rude

High family history and genetic predisposition to colon cancer and see it as doing my bit for the environment. TBH I only really eat fish when with friends/others are hosting as people still cannot get their heads around a fully vegetarian dinner and it makes things a bit easier

Or…. They can choose to eat however they want? Why does anyone need to justify it to anyone else?

I dont really get the term flexitarian which ive seen written down , although ive never heard anyone use it to describe themselves.
As far as I can see its basically the same as an omnivore...?

Dp has been a pescatarian for many years. He thinks it is less damaging to animal welfare than eating meat. I am an omnivore but eat the same diet as him 99% of the time, but my motivation to reduce meat is environmental. Eating fish doesn’t fit with that given overfishing etc, neither does eating dairy, but in my view it’s still better than no action.

One of the most annoying human attributes is to give people who make part of a change, or a compromise, with contempt, while ignoring those who make no change at all.

I gave up eating meat because I know we need to eat less meat as a species, not necessarily none, and as I’m not that fussed about meat it seemed a reasonable contribution to cutting down.

Since I gave it up, I don’t fancy it any more.

I didn’t give up fish because I am that fussed about it - I don’t eat much of it though, just occasionally. Mostly eat a vegetarian diet.

In theory I think dairy farming is incredibly cruel but I cant face giving that up either.

My view is that we need to stop factory farming and industrial type fishing, not so much that we should never eat meat or fish.

I’m a pescatarian

it’s not a moral or ethical choice at all and I’m surprised you’ve met a many pescatarians who think it is.

it just describes diet.

I think a sensible person would just call it “cutting down”. Which is fine, but it doesn’t need a poncy label.

I don’t call myself pescatarian (motives set out above), I just say I don’t eat meat.

Collagen maybe?

Im a pescatarian and unlike others on this thread I do see it as a logical moral choice. I don’t eat meat because I couldn’t slaughter a cow or pig etc and if I can’t do it why should I be ok with someone else having to do it? I could if necessary dispatch a fish and could harvest muscles without any anguish. I won’t eat larger fish eg swordfish.

We raised our kids pescatarian as we didn't want them to eat poor quality meat but wanted them to have the health benefits of eating fish.

I’m pesci, have been since 1999. I am not completely opposed to eating meat as we are omnivores, but I have no desire to do so myself. I find meat is mostly not very nice (so much chewing?!?). When I gave up the limited meat I used to eat, I kept eating fish as frankly it’s easier, especially when eating out or abroad. It’s easier these days and there is occasionally more than one veggie choice on the menu. Back in the day eating out was really restrictive and various holidays were miserable (think constant omelettes in Paris).

Ideally I would eat no meat, fish or dairy. But I am pragmatic, a pp mentioned harm reduction which I am practicing, and the environmental aspect has become much more important to me over the years. Eating less is better than doing nothing. I also don’t care much about rennet or gelatine - I am quite in favour of ‘use the whole animal approaches’. And I wear leather shoes for a similar reason plus the fact that many vegan leather alternatives are made from plastic (although I think this is changing too).

pescatarian doesn’t necessarily mean a free for all on fish either. I won’t eat shark, swordfish, octopus, squid etc for conservation reasons (shark) and intelligence reasons (squid etc). I don’t each much tuna as it’s a bit problematic too, but will eat some tinned tuna on occasion. What I eat evolves as my understanding grows and tastes and options change.

I don’t feel guilty for eating a mussel or something, and a fish that’s lived wild feels okay to me to eat. I’d be comfortable eating an insect also.

What another pp said above also resonated they say they are vegetarian because they don’t like most meat. It definitely was part of my decision to give up all meat as people just don’t seem to understand that if you technically eat meat, you might not like all types/ want it all the time. It’s just more simple to give it all up and then I never get presented with a plate of lamb when I’m round someone’s house for dinner (boak).

people can be complex, they can have complex reasons and lots of distinct logical decisions underlying what they call to the outside vegetarianism or pescatarianism. And they make compromises, they are human.

This was part of my original decision too. I couldn’t afford decent meat at the time. I realised I was eating Tesco value chicken breast but buying free range eggs and realised that was mad. So gave up chicken/meat.

Personal preference makes sense.

Ethical reasons - doesn’t make sense. The sea is terribly over fished. Farmed fish have a horrible life and the industry is bad for the planet. Why would you choose this for ethical reasons?

Health reasons - makes some sense but you still have to limit consumption of some fish due to heavy metal contaminants etc.

@BootMaker

Not everyone avoids meat for ethical reasons.

For some people, the lives of the animals are irrelevant to their choice.

Some people feel they have a healthier lifestyle if they cut out meat (but eat fish.) That's the logic behind it.

It's an interesting question if you're up for an open minded and fair discussion of ethics, OP. But in my experience as a pescatarian for 40 years, people just like to pick holes in your beliefs as a point-scoring exercise so I view your question with some caution.

My own reality is that I loathe farming methods so won't eat farmed meat. I'd prefer not to eat fish and - especially - dairy but honestly I can't go the whole hog (carrot?) so pescatarianism is my compromise. I do try to buy organic dairy as organic farming methods are much kinder but don't always manage that either so my ethics are pretty diluted.

Now waiting for a hundred people to criticise me...

I once worked with a vegetarian who ate chicken because "chickens are ugly and have weird beady eyes"!

Why does it need to make sense? It's a preference. People might have various reasons for eating fish but not meat. Those reasons don't actually have to be logical. Lots of people's 'ethical' reasons for their dietary choices are no doubt really an emotional reaction to things they've seen (e.g. a programme about battery farming or abattoirs), rather thsn a thought-out philosophy. Expecting people's beliefs and attitudes about things like this to be logical and consistent is unrealistic tbh, and they don't actually owe you an explanation.

But that's what makes it weird to grasp, though: it's exactly the same (logically-speaking) as saying that you don't eat any vegetables at all (for whatever reasons), but that you DO eat carrots. Equally, I'm sure that, for the vast majority of vegetarians, there are one or two kinds of vegetable that they don't really like and don't ever choose to eat.

It makes sense to me personally if the only meat that people eat is fish because they believe it to be healthier than other meat; they like the taste/texture but not that of other meat; they're concerned about the quality or welfare methods in farming meat from land-based animals; or simply because fish is an available food for humans and they like to eat it.

'Omnivore' doesn't mean that you eat every single available food item; it just means that you don't pointedly exclude any entire major food groups or categories on ethical/religious/health/other grounds from what you would be willing to consider eating.

I think weirder still, though, is people who don't even use the 'pescetarian' word and call themselves vegetarians, but happily eat fish - as though fish is a plant or something. It's an individual choice for everybody, but why deliberately claim to be something that you're not - especially the ones who moralise and criticise other people for eating the flesh of animals when they too routinely do the same?!

I do think that people should just do as they like though. There’s nothing inherently wrong with eating fish but not meat so people should be allowed to just get on with it!

I don’t think anyone who calls themselves pescatarian demands fish with every meal.