Why do pescatarians say they don't eat meat?

January 6, 2026 •

4 min read

While roughly 3% of the global population identifies as pescatarian, many still question the logic behind their dietary choice. For a pescatarian, the term 'meat' is often defined differently than for the general population, referring specifically to the flesh of land animals. This distinction is driven by a variety of ethical, health, and environmental factors.

Quick Summary

Pescatarians choose to exclude land animals from their diet, consuming fish and seafood alongside a plant-based diet. Their motivations range from health benefits, like increased omega-3 intake, to ethical and environmental concerns related to land animal farming compared to seafood sourcing.

Key Points

Redefinition of 'Meat': Pescatarians typically define 'meat' as the flesh of land animals, excluding fish and seafood based on various health, ethical, and environmental distinctions.
Primary Health Motivations: A major reason for this choice is to reap the health benefits of fish, such as high-quality omega-3 fatty acids, while avoiding the saturated fats and other risks associated with red meat.
Environmental Footprint Reduction: Many pescatarians are motivated by the desire to lower their environmental impact, as seafood production typically has a lower carbon footprint than large-scale livestock farming.
Ethical Compromise: For some, it is an ethical compromise that avoids supporting the factory farming of land animals, which they perceive as more sentient or subject to more inhumane conditions than fish.
Nutritional Completeness: The inclusion of fish helps to fill potential nutritional gaps, providing essential nutrients like B12, vitamin D, and iron that can be harder to source in a strict vegetarian diet.
Diverse Rationale: The decision is highly personal, with reasons varying significantly among individuals, spanning from health and environmental concerns to deeply personal ethical or religious beliefs.

Understanding the Pescatarian's Definition of "Meat"

For many, the word "meat" is a broad term for any animal flesh used for food. However, pescatarians, who follow a pesco-vegetarian diet, draw a specific line. Their definition of 'meat' typically applies only to warm-blooded, land-dwelling animals such as beef, pork, and poultry, and excludes aquatic animals like fish and shellfish. This distinction is not arbitrary but is grounded in multiple complex considerations that differ from the motivations of strict vegetarians or vegans.

Motivations Behind the Pescatarian Diet

Multiple factors drive the pescatarian choice. While vegetarians are often motivated by ethical reasons concerning animal welfare, pescatarians often cite a broader mix of health, environmental, and ethical concerns. Some adopt the diet as a stepping stone toward full vegetarianism, while others maintain it as a long-term, balanced lifestyle.

Health Benefits: More Than Just Omegas

One of the most frequently cited reasons for choosing a pescatarian diet is its health benefits. The inclusion of fish and seafood provides essential nutrients that can be challenging to obtain from a strictly plant-based diet.

Key health advantages include:

Rich source of Omega-3s: Fatty fish like salmon and mackerel are packed with omega-3 fatty acids, crucial for heart health, brain function, and reducing inflammation.
High-quality protein: Seafood offers an excellent source of lean, high-quality protein, which is essential for building and repairing tissues.
Vital vitamins and minerals: Fish and shellfish contain important vitamins and minerals such as vitamin B12, vitamin D, iodine, and zinc, which can be less available in some plant-based foods.
Lowered risk of chronic diseases: Studies show that avoiding red and processed meats, and increasing consumption of fish and plants, is associated with a lower risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers.

Environmental Considerations

Concerns about the environmental impact of industrial farming play a significant role for many pescatarians. While fishing also has environmental issues like overfishing and bycatch, the overall carbon footprint is often lower compared to livestock farming.

Environmental factors in favor of the diet include:

Lower carbon footprint: Livestock farming, particularly for red meat, is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. A lifecycle analysis found a pescatarian diet offers a substantial reduction in emissions compared to an omnivorous one.
Reduced land and water use: Raising cattle, pigs, and poultry requires vast amounts of land, water, and feed. Seafood production generally has a smaller footprint in these areas, though sustainability is a key factor.

Ethical Distinctions

For some, the ethical calculus of eating fish versus land animals is different. This can be due to a perceived difference in sentience or simply a matter of personal comfort.

Ethical aspects considered by some pescatarians:

Perceived sentience: Historically, there was a widespread belief that fish lacked the capacity to feel pain in the same way mammals and birds do, though scientific understanding on this is evolving. This perception can influence an individual's comfort level with consuming fish.
Avoiding factory farming: Many pescatarians are motivated by a desire to avoid supporting the inhumane conditions often associated with large-scale industrial farming of land animals. Wild-caught fish, or sustainably farmed fish, are seen by some as a more humane option.

Pescetarianism vs. Other Dietary Choices

To better understand the pescetarian stance, it is useful to compare it with other common diets. This helps illustrate the unique blend of considerations that motivate their food choices.


Feature	Pescatarianism	Vegetarianism (Lacto-Ovo)	Veganism	Omnivorous
Fish/Seafood	Yes	No	No	Yes
Poultry	No	No	No	Yes
Red Meat	No	No	No	Yes
Dairy	Often Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Eggs	Often Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Primary Protein	Fish, plants, dairy, eggs	Plants, dairy, eggs	Plants	Land animals, fish, plants
Ethical Focus	Environmental, sometimes animal welfare	Animal welfare, environment	Comprehensive animal rights	Health, taste, cultural tradition
Typical Motivation	Health, environment, personal comfort	Ethical, environmental, health	Ethical, environmental, health	Social custom, taste, personal preference

The Nuance of Personal Choice

Ultimately, the reasons why pescatarians say they don't eat meat are personal and multifaceted. For some, it is an ethical compromise that allows them to reduce their environmental impact and avoid factory farming while retaining the nutritional benefits and enjoyment of seafood. For others, it is a health-first decision, prioritizing omega-3s over the saturated fats found in red meat. The term meat itself becomes a subjective one, reflecting a specific dietary boundary drawn not just for health, but also for conscious consumption.

Conclusion: A Diverse Range of Deliberate Choices

The pescatarian dietary lifestyle is a deliberate choice rooted in a blend of motivations, including health, environmental concerns, and personal ethics. The reason pescatarians say they don't eat meat stems from their nuanced definition of the term, applying it to land animals while making an exception for fish and seafood. This distinction allows them to balance nutritional needs with values that reduce the overall environmental footprint and ethical compromises often associated with a traditional omnivorous diet. By understanding these various drivers, we can better appreciate the diverse paths individuals take toward mindful eating and healthier living.

Frequently Asked Questions

No, pescatarians typically do not consider fish or seafood to be 'meat' in the same category as poultry or red meat from land animals. Their definition is specific to land-based animal flesh.

The motivations are varied but often include health benefits (like omega-3s), environmental concerns over livestock farming, and ethical considerations about animal welfare.

Yes, many pescatarians also consume dairy and eggs, similar to a lacto-ovo vegetarian, but this can vary depending on individual preference.

Many pescatarians consider their diet a more ethical choice than a meat-heavy one due to factors like lower environmental impact and avoiding inhumane factory farming practices associated with land animals.

Generally, yes. Livestock farming has a larger environmental footprint in terms of greenhouse gas emissions and land use compared to seafood sourcing. However, sustainable fishing practices are still an important consideration.

Scientific debate exists on whether fish can experience pain in the same way as land animals. Some pescatarians may perceive aquatic life as less sentient, while for others, the ethical reasons relate more to environmental sustainability and avoiding industrial farming.

Yes, a pescatarian diet can be rich in protein from fish, seafood, and plant-based sources like legumes, nuts, and whole grains.