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?

(talking ethical reasons here) I have to admit I have a lot of respect for vegans. I also really respect the guy someone was talking about who will only eat what he will kill. Meateaters are fine as they are not hypocrites it's anyone else inbetween who I find the reasoning a bit odd (again note I am talking about people who do things fo ethical reasons not those that do it because they don't like the taste)

I'm a vegetarian, I don't eat fish and I've never understood why people are so keen to question people about the details of their diet and label them
"Do you wear leather shoes?"
"Do you eat eggs?"
...all this before they even know their motivation, not that it's any of their business!
Sorry, not a pop at the OP (I regularly start these sorts of threads) but annoying when people give you the third degree in RL!

This is a pet hate of mine - I'm a vegetarian but I eat fish. Ok, some might feel that fish are stupid (6 second memory and all that) but it's stretching it a bit to call them vegetables.

Just say you don't eat meat fgs. If you eat fish you are NOT a vegetarian.

Did anyone answer the Q or does anyone know - are there/what are the welfare issues with factory farmed fish? Is fish labelled as ff or 'free range' (other than smoked salmon which I think is labelled as wild?

but why does it bother anyone else? Especially people who eat meat and fish?!

I think it bothers people because it causes problems for real vegetarians, because many people think vegetarians eat fish. And it feels like they are claiming to be something they're not. Why label yourself, especially when it's not true?! It's like saying I'm teetotal. I only drink 10 pints of lager every Friday night.

Well I'm a real vegetarian, and find it easy enough to say "no meat, no fish".
As I've said I don't mind it on MN as MN is the place for this, I just hate the 20 questions you get when you say you're vegetarian by people who can't wait to trip you up! AHA so you eat wine gums etc...really irritates me! If they said they didn't eat beef or mushrooms, I'd accept it without questioning them, not start listing all the remotely related things they may or may not eat / use!

Surely anyone is entitled to eat or not eat whatever they like?!?

exactly Bramshott! If someone is being superior about it and moralising then I can see why people get irritated, but if someone just says they are a vegetarian (and does or doesn't eat fish) then the details are no-one else's business!

I know what you mean. But I do think many people rightly or wrongly sense attack from people who say they are vegetarians, a supercilious attitude that they are more morally upright or something, so meat-eaters in self-defense retaliate by trying to prove that the veges are hypocrites by eating gelatine-ridden haribo or something. that's my theory anyway.

disclaimer - my theory only and in no way represents my opinion.

Agree with most people, vegetarians do not eat meat. I'm a vegetarian and I eat no meat or meat by-products. I only eat food that is suitable for vegetarains, especially cheese as what goes in the non veggie stuff is rancid.

think you're right ETB! I'm a vegetarian but DH and DS aren't and I couldn't give a stuff what other people do or don't eat. I only say I'm a vegetarian when I have to, try to be vague if asked my reasons and so I get majorly wound up by the "catch em out" brigade!

I was vegan for 12 years, so I've met a fair few of those. Luckily, being a very strict vegan, I passed all their 'tests' and noted with irritation their delight in trying to catch me out

I reverted to being a meat eater when I weaned ds1, as I didn't feel confident I could safely meet all of his dietary requirements on a vegan diet. I am however rapidly becoming vegetarian as ds1 has decided he wants to be one. How the worm turns.

so did you eat avocado pears? Well DID YOU??

i even made my shoes ut of them, preen.

you evil pear killing slaughterer!

i love it when they scream

Vegetarians don't eat meat, but the amount that say they are veggie and do is pretty high. It really pisses me off when restaurants etc offer fish as a 'veggie option' I went for a work meal the other night and asked for the veggie option, she tried to present me with a plate of tuna, and looked all cross with me when I said 'I'm a vegetarian, I don't eat fish'. 'Well, this is the vegetarian option, no one else has complained.' [hmmm]

I eat fish but not meat / poultry.

I was fully (and very strictly - no rennet, no leather, checking lables, worrying over which margerine was used in my sandwich) veggie from age 14 to about 34, when I got pg and craved meat. Fish was my halfway house choice, as I felt fish lived 'free', and were frankly not as bright as cows so less worrying for me to kill one

FWIW, I'm essentially one of the political veggies - for me it has always been about farming practices / sustainability. These days it's also about health.

I eat what I eat. I don't make it into a problem for other people. I say 'I don't eat meat' - I only say vegetarian for simplicity when eating out / filling in forms etc. Vegetarian to me describes the much stricter diet I followed for 20 years.