Do You Eat Fish?
The other night at yoga, my teacher did something unusual. Normally, at the beginning of class, she tells us to offer up our practice to someone other than ourselves. I love this part of class, because I think if there is even a one-in-a-million chance that a simple dedication can alleviate suffering in another person, then it’s worth doing it (duh). Thinking about someone you care about is also a great motivator when you’re on your third wheel and you kind of want to kill yourself.
But the other night, instead of the usual dedication, she said:
“Now think of another being, a non-human being, and offer up your practice to them.” Curveball!
I’m totally not an animal person. I used to fancy myself a bit of a cat whisperer, but the last time I spent any amount of time with them was when Alexandra and I lived together with, like, 10 kittens and a couple of other girls, more than a decade ago. So there I am scanning my mind, trying to find an animal that moves me. Cat? Nah. Dog? Definitely not. Whale? I mean… And then it hit me: Bluefin tuna! This is going to sound weird, but as soon as I pictured the tuna, I kind of felt like crying. That’s how I knew it was a good choice.
As you may or may not know, tuna are in trouble. (Paul Greenberg is the guy to read on the topic: his book, Four Fish, or any of his New York Times pieces, including the excerpt they ran of his book last year.) I’ve been thinking about them and other fish a lot lately, because I’d swung back into a fish phase and, knowing what I know about the ecological impact of high-yield fishing—to say nothing of the moral issues associated with eating animals—I was sort of, um, beefing with myself over the fish thing.
As Alexandra and I have said, our diets have been mostly vegetarian or vegan since we were teenagers, but in the last few years we’ve both gotten into fish because they’re nutritious and tasty. We’re far from black and white about these things, and there’s no telling what I’ll sample off another person’s plate at a restaurant. At the end of the day, what each of us chooses to eat is deeply personal and often the result of a complicated calculation of price, convenience, ethics, taste and, being real, feelings.
It’s the ethics and feelings part that’s been catching up with me, and the universe was now conspiring to get me in step. Which is why I shouldn’t have been surprised the other day when, on my way to meet my environment-writer friend for lunch, I got a text message from a nonprofit about—yup!—bluefin freaking tuna. When it comes to fish, I’d become the woman who knows too much. As my friend pointed out, it’s exactly what happened with beauty products. You can know something intellectually, but when it really clicks—when you really know it in your core—well, then you have some tough decisions to make.
Experts I trust say that that the best thing we can do to protect the oceans is to keep people who fish responsibly fishing—because they set a blueprint for how to do so sustainably, and because it’s unrealistic to expect the whole world to stop eating sea animals. I agree with that, but I’m already very careful about the fish I eat, favoring abundant species from small fisheries, and organically farmed ones.
So what’s a crying-for-bluefin girl to do?
My next step in embracing a clean, kind life is going to involve abandoning the vegetarian-who-isn’t-a-vegetarian-because-she-often-eats-fish thing. Because as far as I can tell, when something, anything, in life stirs our heart in a truly visceral way, it’s worth our attention.
We’d like to discourage quibbling about ethics here because, as we said, these things are so personal, and we respect everyone’s differences. But since we know many of you are motivated by living an environmentally responsible life (while also looking beautiful and using lovely products), we want to know: Do you eat meat of any kind? Do you limit it to a couple of days a week? How do you feel about it?
Great post! I didn’t know about the Tuna problem. I do however consider myself a HUGE environmental nut, I watch what I purchase (reduce, reuse, recycle) always in mind, I watch what I eat (cans, plastic and ingredients are high on my watch list), I compost, recycle, read, and try my best to limit my cosmetics for myself equally for the earth. However, I eat meat. I have never considered it “bad for the environment”. I’ve always seen it as natural – it is natural for living creatures to eat meat. I also eat fish. I only recently started in 2010, but I find myself loving it and I know the health benefits. I would be interested in learning more about the environmental factors that lead you, or others, not to eat it though. I’ve never thought of meat or fish as an environmental choice…
I’ve been a vegetarian for 22 years, & I will never go back to eating meat. It may be “natural for living creatures to eat meat,” but humans are blessed with the ability to make a choice about it.
Great post, and great question. I choose to not eat meat mostly for health reasons, but there are a million environmental reasons not to! It takes 20 gallons of water a day to raise a cow and it takes 16 times less water to grow vegetables.
I limit my meat eating to only once a month or so (my husband is a meat eater, so I buy it for him because he is so patient to eat vegetarian with me most of the time). And we never choose fish from the regular grocery store, farm raised fish is not only bad for you but terrible for the environment.
I eat meat and fish. I don’t find anything wrong with it and am cognizant of the choices I make when purchasing meat and fish. I know I’ve mentioned it before, so I apologize for being repetitive, but reading The Omnivore’s Dilemma helped me overcome any guilt associated with eating meat and fish. I expected to be converted to veganism, but wasn’t. The real lesson was to eat responsibly, whatever it is you eat.
>>Do you eat meat of any kind?
I only eat organic or free range meats. I don’t eat beef or pork because I don’t like the taste. Bison, duck, chicken, fish are the tops.
>>Do you limit it to a couple of days a week?
Last time I had meat, I had tuna with sushi was last Wednesday? I don’t have meat very often.
>>How do you feel about it?
Chickens are my second favourite animal. I grew up on a farm and had oodles of egg laying chickens. I have no qualms eating chickens *only* if they’ve come from farms like the one I grew up on. The only time they were confined was at night – chickens will automatically go back to the coop and all you have to do is a head count and close the door. They ate kitchen scrapes, grass, bugs, mice (seriously), bread and some chicken feed. None of our animals ever got sick.
Anyways! What I go with, is that as long as what I eat is respected before and after death, I can eat it. For something to live, something else has to die. There’s no getting around it. This covers plants too. I believe that plants have their own feelings and it’s not any better to take their lives in disrespectful and cruel ways. It wasn’t long ago that animals were thought not to feel pain or have any emotions. I don’t think it’ll be long for us to find the same with plants.
As I do eat a lot of fish over red meats, I reference the following guide:
http://www.seachoice.org/
I’m not healthy on a vegan or strict vegetarian diet. I’m waiting with baited breath when insects become readily available to eat. When it does, I’m going try animal meat free.
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/eating-insects.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Entomophagy
great article . my basic statement on topic : ” the ulimate being is surely a plant eater thusly i am one ” .
i believe our souls eternal and that our bodies will continue to wear out body span after body span after body span etc til we ‘ master the physical laws of the universe ‘ and thusly attain complete eternal control over the states of our bodies . so we all are designing ourselves , growing ‘ roots ‘ on our soul by how we behave each day that will eventually determine how long it takes us to attain an eternal body state and what type body our souls shall weild . theres no god thing involved in making us , and even if there ends up being so i’ll be damned if im stupid enough to waste one moments time looking to a fictional being to help me become what i want .
i look only to myself for survival and direction . and theres NO WAY im designing myself into a low life form predator / parasite upon other beings , NO WAY !!!!!!!!! i might have to kill other creatures to survive but i’ll never eat them or leach off them . of course it could change and to survive i once again have to kill to eat , but unless that happens im a plant eater forever more .
I don’t eat either fish or meat – but I decided more than twenty years ago that I would stop eating it. I’m 32 now, and no, my parents didn’t convert me – quite the contrary, let’s just say I was a stubborn child, and I didn’t want any more animals getting killed just for the sake of me or my dinner (I didn’t worry about wearing leather, etc. back then). I’ve always made sure that my health wouldn’t suffer from it, and I found that it has become much easier over the years to sustain a vegetarian lifestyle. It became almost more a habit than an actual choice – a choice which is made even easier bc I don’t LIKE meat or fish anymore. Yes, there have been a few times where I’ve tried it again bc some dish really looked/smelled delicious and I thought “you didn’t really take a vow, you don’t disobey any rules when you try some”, but I could never swallow it. Recently, however, I began thinking about these matters again, and I’m happy to say that I’m not just still a vegetarian, but a vegetarian for ethical reasons. I try not to be too missionary about it (after all, I’m not always as strict as I would like to be, and I find it difficult to become a vegan) – but I find it much easier to accept when someone says “I grew up on a farm, I’ve seen how farm animals were killed and butchered, and yes, I do eat meat”. (I’m living in Europe where the meat industry isn’t quite as – for lack of a better word – degenerated as it is in the States.) I can’t stand those people who are ready to shed a tear for every cute little puppy while being in complete denial about the ways in which the meat they are about to eat was “produced”. If you’re not ready to watch how it happened and still eat it, you block out your responsibility. And don’t even get me started on environmental reasons for not eating meat or fish…
Please read Eating Animals, or another book that has some common sense information. After reading it I can wholeheartedly say, disregarding all the advice from your trustable experts: it is deeply morally wrong for me to consume fish. I can’t stomach it, just as I can’t live with fur or people who find that “cool” (be it first- or second-hand). It’s harsh to say, but I don’t want it on my conscience, and I don’t think every other slightly sustainable human being would want to either, if they’d have the information/if they were willing to look for it. What I’ve learnt from the lovely (meat and fish eating) reporters of the Dutch television show Keuringsdienst van Waarden, is that sustainable is a very relative, uncheckable and shady thing, especially regarding fish and MSC.
Every fish you don’t consume is a fish saved. It’s a life spared. Jonathan Safran Foer stated that NO fish has died a good death, Not a single one. They all die suffering, sometimes for an extended period. People might not want to hear it, but it’s a fact. It’s something we can all be certain of. Just as we can be certain of fish’s intelligence, sociability towards other fish and complexity. The information isn’t hard to find.
Seeing how flaxseed oil did a lot for my skin I don’t feel I need it for health reasons. I’lll stick with non-mercury-contaminated tofu thank you very much!
I eat meat only occasionally and preferably of the organic kind (altho a rogue tamale slips in then again from my wonderful Oaxacan friends), but I am an avid fish eater. However, I refuse to eat farmed seafood of any kind, nor do I consume fish that are endangered or those caught with questionable practices.
Here’s where I hop on the pedestal. As a long time commercial fisherman, I highly encourage you to familiarize yourself with Bristol Bay, Alaska, and the last sustainable wild salmon run in the world, one that has fed countless generations of Alaskan Natives and now people across the globe. This is a fishery that is managed to the nth degree, that consistently produces year after year (with incredibly small bycatch), and is something I wholeheartedly support. If you are going to eat fish, Bristol Bay salmon is where it’s at.
I’d also like to mention that there are some very serious threats posed against this salmon run, and the incredibly diverse ecosystem that goes along with it. Watch the (amazingly beautiful) link for more info if you’re interested:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqrpbgeeyeE
This is such a great topic! I am battling this issue as well. I didn’t eat meat for a long time, mostly due to the environmental implications as opposed to animal cruelty, but then started to really feel for the animals. I am also type 1 diabetic. Recently, I started eating a little grass fed/organic meat and wild caught alaskan salmon in the hope that I could rely less on carbohydrates to fill me up (beans and whole grains) that may raise my blood sugar too much. I am an avid believer in the health benefits of whole foods and think fake meat and other “artificials” are much worse for your health than the real thing (as long as it is responsibly produced like pasture-raised, grass fed, organic, etc). I also wholeheartedly believe in eating local, which is almost impossible to do (unless you live in California) on a vegan diet if you wish to get all the nutrients you need. I love anything Michael Pollan writes, but also understand Alicia Silverstone’s and Jonathan Safran Foer’s point of view. It’s totally a personal choice and if you choose to eat meat you should eat it as nature intended and not eat cows that have been fed corn and that live on a feedlot for only 200 days until they are butchered. Still struggling with the issue and trying to figure out what’s right for me.
I currently eat meat. My level of consumption varies: some weeks I eat no meat; others I’ll eat meat 2 or 3 times. When I eat animals, I usually eat tuna, sardines, or eggs; occasionally I change it up with some chicken or turkey. On rare occasions I will eat beef.
I wish I could say I only ate ethically sourced meat, but I can’t afford that. Since I eat meat infrequently as it is, I feel less bad about it than if I ate meat every day. Still, once I achieve the poverty line, I’ll try a lot harder. I find I feel a lot better when I do eat some animal protein. One day any animal products I consume will be ethically sourced and slaughtered.
Wow, what a perfect day for this post! I was just suffering over a decision I made to eat fish over the weekend…
I have no problem with humans, since we are designed as omnivores, eating meat/fish responsibly. It can be a challenge to eat responsibly, from inconvenience to affordability. I believe we should each do the best we can to make ethical and conscious choices in all aspects of life. If we each do the best we can, then the world can be a better place without any one of us having to be perfect. But I guess some of us being closer to “perfect” makes up for the others who don’t even try.
I believe some people need animal protein at some times. For example, when I got pregnant, I found myself craving meat, even though I’d been vegetarian for 9 years. I kept trying to stick to my plant proteins, but it all seemed gross at the time. I had to listen to my body, and I tried to make responsible choices about meat, but surely fell short of that at times.
I went all the way to a vegan/raw diet a couple years ago, mostly for health reasons, and it does make eating responsibly easier. This weekend I was at my awesome local farmer’s market, and there was a vendor with salmon. This was fish probably caught by the actual guy who was selling it, from a local company….felt like responsible fish eating to me. I decided to try it, and brought home some salmon. It was amazing! But I sure am paying for it now. Within a day I had a huge allergy attack like those I had before I became vegan/raw. For me, there seems to be something about animal protein and what appear as “hayfever” symptoms. There’s other stuff too, but this is the most obvious symptom at the moment. (being vegan/raw has cleared a whole bunch of minor and more serious ailments for me) So back to vegan I go!
I don’t have a problem with people eating meat or fish in the most responsible way possible. But I don’t think people NEED meat or fish, and animal protein is not healthy for some of us.
I was bummed when I read that you’re not an “animal person”, but you wrote a whole post about the problems facing blue fin tuna which is fantastic! I never liked fish, but I’ve been vegetarian for something like 6 years and now vegan for over a year.
lol im all for conservation, animal rights, etc, but seriously? our BODIES are MADE for SMALL AMOUNTS of MEAT. that we are supposed to CATCH KILL AND CLEAN OURSELVES. (as in, not drive ‘thru’, as in exercise, honor, respect, hard work, time) and only now that we are an overpopulated society of commerce and (too?) easy trade and transport, do we need to make educated and concious decisions on what/where/how we get our meat. I understand the emotions involved in the horror our food sources (of ALL kinds, plant and animal), but i just dont get PETA!! haha it’s such a joke. I’m not going to weep over my fish because it died on the end of my hook; though, I AM going to honor the nourishment it will give me and the CYCLE OF LIFE! But, i will weep at the fish sticks in the freezer, and the tuna in the can, for those fish? ARE, as a species, helplessly being raped.
I don’t eat meat or fish, and I wouldn’t wear fur. I am about 90% vegan, and I strive to give up leather to. I can’t rationalize why any creature should lose their life in order to satisfy my wants, not needs, since humans do not need any animal product for survival. My initial reason for becoming vegetarian was because I didn’t like to eat meat or fish, but it in time it has also become an ethical issue, as well as an environmental issue.
There are many inspirational materials for those who are on the fence about becoming vegetarian that cover health issues, environmental issues, and ethical issues; “Food Inc,” (dvd), “101 Reasons Why I’m a Vegetarian” by Pamela Rice, (The pamphlet version available at http://www.vivavegie.org, and there is also a book version that I haven’t read), also “Skinny Bitch” (book).
I find it very exciting that the population of vegetarians in the US has grown so much over the years.
Go Reese! I like what you said.
I think taking the time to honor the cycle of life is important no matter what we eat. Something had to die for me to live – whether plant, animal, whatever. Even if you eat vegan, an animal may have died in the harvesting process. Who knows what critters suffered for your food to grow and ultimately make its way to you. It’s not something to feel guilty over, it just is what it is. Honor your food, and honor your body by feeding it well.
Hey Aster, I think it’s a little odd that you say you don’t trust Alexandra and Siobhan’s experts, but you trust the word of Foer. You do know he’s just a vegan/novelist, right?
With that being said, I’ve never eaten fish. I’ve never been able to. I choked on a fishbone and almost drowned in a river when I was young, so I’ve never really been a fan. Also I have this weird thing about the oceans not really being the territory of humans so it’s not fair for us to take from it. I stopped eating red meat when I was in my early teens and went vegetarian a few years ago. I frankly think that people are designed to eat meat. We would be designed like cows if our bodies were only meant to eat fruit and veggies. It’s not the business of vegans/vegetarians to try and convert people that do, it’s a very western, privileged way of thinking. I think meat eating should be done in a sustainable manner, and I’ve lately begun to reconcile my thoughts on hunting as a result of this. I think the most import part is for people to become less removed from the meat they’re eating.
I know someone that’s quite fond of eating roadkill deer, not that I would advocate that method to everyone, or anyone for that matter.
I posted a comment yesterday but I seem to have deleted it (genius girl doesn’t know how to work her own site!). Anyway loving the responses here.
And just to clarify: I should say I’m not a PET person. I’ve just never been the person who wants to touch your dog in the elevator, and I don’t want another of my own. But with that said I am deeply moved by animals in the wild, when I see them in person or in nature documentaries. The March of the Penguins is like my favorite movie of all time.
I would like to comment that some humans do need animal meats to survive. The Inuit People would not be able to survive on broccoli and tofu.
Fish, fisheries, marine conservation, and wildlife management are my home base, so I could on and on forever. But.. there are some truly great documentaries out on the topic and I highly recommend “The End of the Line”. For those Netflix subscribers: it’s streaming online. Does an excellent job of outlining the major issues.
Whoa, Reese,
Can we keep things a little kinder and not use the word “rape” in nonliteral senses? There are plenty of other very good words we can use to describe cruelty to animals at all levels. Unless you really mean rape, please don’t use the word.
I eat just about anything that isn’t too heavily processed. Whatever calls to me that day. If I look at my habits over an average week (which was project in one of my nutrition courses, actually, now I think of it) I have about three very vegetarian days of the week (but no vegan days, hunh) three days where there is some fish and/or chicken involved (usually at dinner), and one day where there is red meat. I’ve noticed if I don’t get that day of red meat in there I get sluggish and fuzzy brained. But that’s just me. I don’t personally believe you can eat your way into heaven but I do try to weigh environmental impact into my choices along with personal health (the two often go hand in hand it seems). I usually feel quite good about my choices. Even on the rare occasions I have chosen a *gasp* Five Guys burger. Because I’m choosing, I think. I mean, if I didn’t think about it, or stop to listen to myself in some way, I would not be an active participant in feeding myself and might therefore regret what I’d ingested (either from principle, or literally when I got indigestion). Yeah, now I’ve said it, I think the conscious and mindful choosing is the important part.
Ignoring the quite ineloquent post with the captions, I’d like to comment on the inuit- and the “some people need meat” argument. Some people may feel they do, and therefore do. And inuit would’ve died if they hadn’t eaten seal, it’s perfectly possible to live on mostly meat in those circumstances, with the cold and all. I am not an inuit. I am a modern human being. As most of the modern human beings, I don’t need any animal protein, whilst some others will feel they need some. But what people consume nowadays, compared to what we actually need is a laugh. It’s overconsumption to the max. We’ve evolved, and so have our needs. I’m not saying veganism is the only or healthiest option, but it suits me, and could suit a lot more who don’t consider it (yet).
We’re no longer running across fields, killing our own game, hunting and gathering for our survival. With our bare hands and all. That time is long gone. Seeing how overpopulated we are and considering our lifestyle as well as the moral dilemma we create by killing and over-consuming just for pleasure and not out of a need, the only rational option is to reconsider and seriously change our ways.
When I was younger, my family ate meat or fish everyday. Now my boyfriend and I eat seafood/white meat twice a week, and red meat maybe once a month or less. The majority of our diet is vegetarian, and some days are vegan. I guess there are too many concerns about what is good and bad to eat. But I grew up in Florida and love fish/seafood too much to give it up. Fresh seafood smells and tastes delicious.
I’ve been a vegetarian for over 20 years and part of that time was dedicated to making my life extremely difficult being a vegan (easier in the US, much harder in Europe where I’ve lived for the past 15+ years). I never eat meat fish or chicken of any kind. It helps that I never liked it to begin with before I went veggie. No matter how healthy fish can be in theory (and how unhealthy most fish probably is in reality…mercury, anyone?), I just look at the environmental disasters that come from fishing, overfishing and even sea farm-raised fisheries. For those of you who eat fish or chicken or meat once a week, I would challenge you to go a step further and reduce it to once a month. I don’t think I’ve eaten the same thing twice all month, so trust me, there are plenty of vegetarian choices out there! All you need is a little creativity.
I am big in sustainability but everyone has to make their own choices. I look at I dont eat meat alot. I do eat fish. I think we should educate everyone in eating healthy and organic food. I have to pick what I buy. I am on a budget and I go by what they say is the things you should buy organic. I try to not buy plastic and that is a challenge. I have gone clean on personal products and still trying figure out what oil will moisture my face. I precycle then recycle. Clean products are great but the companies are still going to want to sale. If we choose what is healthy to us and the environment & educate everyone around this stuff. It will make a difference and it is making a difference. Love the planet.
I’m slowly working towards living by a philosophy of “only eat what I would happily kill”. Which will essentially mean that I will only be able to eat fish and shellfish, as I’ve caught, killed and eaten them before. But it will eventually exclude beef, chicken and other meats. because I can’t even bear to watch abattoir slaughter videos, let alone actually looking those animals in the eye and killing them myself.
At the moment I’ve whittled it down to one red meat meal a week and three vegetarian meals (the others, chicken and fish). I ditched veal years ago on ethical grounds and lamb has been a recent departure (poor lambies). So I’m getting there :)
Thanks for the heads up on the tuna though. I had no idea.
thanks for the post. i don’t eat meat except fish and have been considering giving up fish as well. i think you have inspired me! :)
I adore all food (especially seafood, which I just love) and will try anything if it’s prepared artfully and responsibly (which in my book means non-GMO, “real” non-corporate organic food with happy lives and humane slaughter where applies.)
That said, we mostly eat vegetarian without really thinking about it, and I’ve been flirting with veganism for about a year on and off now because even though we consume mostly raw milk (and not so much from cows), we both feel better without dairy at all. I would rather eat a whole bunch of whole grains, cooked veggies and fruit than worry about the calories and slaughter aspect (I especially have a serious problem eating pigs, which I have always thought are way too smart to be food). The downside of this is that I don’t think I get enough protein in general, never have. So I always have to cram in more beans. Mixed feelings about that…
Oh I forgot to add frequency of our meat eating.
I’d saw we average red meat (mutton or beef) perhaps once a month, and fish once or twice a month, usually herring. We used to eat shrimp once a week but the guilt of supporting Thai shrimp farms finally caught up to us for good. My husband eats pork products about twice a week, but I only indulge once a month or so, and then only if it’s a truly amazing salami, for example (and yes, I will feel guilty all day after).
I like meat.
I buy organically and humanely raised chicken and beef. If I buy fish, which is about twice a month, I specifically buy wild fish from northern areas. Nothing farm raised or from the gulf.
It’s hilarious that all of you can afford to feed yourselves based on what your conscience has to say. Organic this, free range that.. Some people can barely afford to have a meal a day from the local generics discount mart. Oh, or even better the soup kitchen!
It all becomes very clear when one hasn’t eaten it days. The answer is you WILL eat WHATEVER is available, plant or animal, or you will die. Arrogant, self-righteous, judgmental, metro-sexual, pathological narcissists trouncing around in their $65K “eco-friendly” cars packed with deadly toxins in the batteries (With a 5 year life cycle) pointing fingers and buying carbon credits to feel all the more superior to “Those people” who only do what they do because they must to survive in this commerce driven society.
Funny, so much worry over fish when there are still men killing one another and mothers drowning their kids in the tub. But, perhaps, it’s all just a matter of perspective.
My family eats meat (but pretty much just ground beef, chicken breast, and pork chops) about 2-3 times a week. Not organic or pasture-fed, I’m afraid, as that is wayyy out of our [very small] budget. We used to eat meat once a day, but we’ve trimmed that down over the past year or so, privileging eggs, tofu, noodles, etc. I don’t buy much canned food either, so that pretty much cancels beans, making cooking a little bit complicated, but somewhat cheaper (I think).
We don’t eat fish at home more than 6 times a year. When we do, it’s either trout, fresh salmon, or canned salmon. Fish is just wayyyy too expensive to eat regularly.