to not understand why a 'vegetarian' would eat fish?

[EccentricaGallumbits]

sorry. a thread about a thread about a thread. bad form I know.

really though. why? I've never understood the point. Could anyone enlighten me?

agree with policywonk - many people just don't like red meat/chicken but do like fish. Nothing to do with having a problem with dead animals, simple case of likes and dislikes

Personally I find people are so judgemental about what other people eat. People seem to like to interrogate vegetarians for their choices, yet may have strange eating dislikes themselves

Also sometimes if you're being cooked for outside the home, it's easier to say you're vegetarian to avoid being served meat, albeit that you'd be happy to eat fish

KingRolo - that is fine when going to people's homes for meals; less easy for when dining out where meals may have to be ordered in advance, such as parties, weddings, balls, etc.

It seems simple enough to me to say I eat fish but not meat or poultry.

Oh I will be borrowing that term Nofurtherquestions, love it.
The problem isn't what people call themselves, it's that psuedo-veggies confuse all the meateaters into thinking it's ok to SERVE fish to guests/customers who are vegetarian - thus making eating out more difficult!

Most of the 'veggioes' I know eat fish. Doesnt bother me.

Veggies don't eat fish. Totally agree with Iggi.

There is a title for this as my friend, a fish eating vegetarian told me...

'Beady eyed vegetarians'

They will not eat anything unless it has beady eyes. Hence no lamb, cow etc. But fish or chicken is fine. I guess that means locusts and earthworms are ok too.

Thunderduck - that is not often an option when selecting a meal type in situations as I described. It is usually meat or veggie as your options.

Ticking vegetarian is fine in that case. I'll often order vegetarian meals and I eat meat.

However saying I'm vegetarian then ordering the fish dish isn't fine. It confuses matters and makes it difficult for true vegetarians.
Hence why I've seen tuna listed as a vegetarian option in one of those baked potato fast food outlets.

yanbu. If you eat fish you are not veggie. It's not hard is it?!

who cares.
Some peopel dont like eating chicken

I'm a pescatarian.

But - OK, outside of mumsnet - no bugger knows what that it! I ate lunch with 8 other teachers today, the conversation turned to vegetarianism & NO-ONE else was familiar with the word.

So if I'm going somewhere where someone else is going to be catering for me, I just say I'm a 'vegetarian'. If they then ask if I eat fish I say well, yes, so technically I'm a pescatarian, & explain it.

But most non-veggies simply cannot be arsed IME with whatever combination of ovo-lacto 'beady eyed' weirdo vegetarian you are. They just want to know that you'd rather have the goat's cheese flan at their wedding than the sirloin.

How can a vegetarian wear leather? That depends on why you don't eat meat. My reason is I don't like the stuff - also because it's healthier and mostly cheaper. It's not a political decision, so yes, shock horror I have been known to wear leather..

I stopped eating meat about 15 years ago basically as a reaction to inhumane farming practices and the whole environmental issue (carbon footprint, deforestation). Not because of the killing-a-living creature issue.

Therefore, sustainably sourced fish = OK.

But to avoid getting a bleeding hunk of cow slapped down in front of you at a dinner party/wedding, it's generally necessary to say 'vegetarian please'

Incidentally, I have started eating meat occasionally now it's possible to get ethically-farmed stuff. BUT I only know it's ethical if I have bought it myself, so I'd probably still prefer the veggie option when eating out.

well i was actually meaning a vegatarian who doesn't eat meat because they don't believe in killing animals for food, so why would they kill an animal for clothing,(and i do know a few vegatarians who do wear leather for above reasons) not someone who doesn't eat meat because they don't like it, so really i'm not really that shocked that you wear leather smee.

That's why you need different words for it really. If it's a kind of religion then you'd think leather shoes would be a sin. If it's just because you have reasons not to eat meat then you may not have any reason to avoid leather.

that would be my point exactly, thank you onagar,

I call myself a hypacritical vegetarian! I won't eat anything with '4-legs', not for moral reasons, as I cook beef and such for the family.. just a preference, it's gross to me to eat such a large animal. I can't stomach the idea. I went totally veg 15 years ago but didn't suplement the diet properly and became quite ill, so now I eat fish and chicken once in a while. So some who still eat fish and / or chicken and call themselves vegetarians, is only for lack of a better name. And makes it much easier to inform people this way and keep them from feeding you ham.

So that's me... a hypacritical vegetarian.

but leather is a by product of the food industry, the cow is not killed for it's skin.
I am a vegetarian for many reasons, starting with not liking the idea of sausages and other offal as a child, and now at 33 not wanting something to have to die for me to eat. I do have a nice collection of leather handbags though.. It's vegans that don't wear leather, as a rule.

OMG. "its skin".

Oh and it winds me up when 'vegetarians' eat fish.

I did not know that partof. Very interesting! So I won't feel so guilty about that leather purse I love so much.

but the point is the animal died to give you that skin, whether you eat the meat or not the animal is dead, and if you don't think you should kill for food why for clothes even if it is a by product?

i know that vegans don't wear leather, or have anything to do with animal products, i personally feel that if your making a life choice not to eat meat as you don't want to kill anything for food then you shouldn't be wearing the by product of that death!

Onager, there are lots of different words.

It's just that most people's comprehension & interest is limited to: vegetarian = no meat or fish, vegan = vegetarian, but also no eggs or dairy.

Once you start bringing fishocrites & fruitarians into it you're over-complicating things for most people.