"Guilt-Free" Sushi Doesn't Include Bits of Fish

categories: Endangered Species, Environment and Global Warming, Food and Recipes, Marine Life, Wildlife/FreeLiving Animals

Published July 29, 2009 @ 08:21AM PT

Apparently, between yesterday's post and this one, we have a theme going: foods that require the killing of animals are not greed- and guilt-free just because they don't require the killing or exploitation of some other animals. Yesterday, I wrote about the problem of referring to Fair Trade milk chocolate as free of "greed" and as a win for the "socially conscious" when dairy consumption and "production" involve some of the greediest, cruelest human acts. And today, I'm writing in response to a Christian Science Monitor article titled "Guilt-Free Sushi."

In a moment of optimism, I briefly hoped, upon seeing the title in someone's Tweet, that this referred to vegetarian sushi. But the article, of course, is not about vegetarian sushi. "Guilt-free" merely refers to sushi made with the flesh of farmed fishes or fish species that aren't endangered.

But whether the fish whom sushi lovers are eating is part of an endangered species or not, he suffered so that they could eat him. He experienced his life, which he wanted to continue living, and he suffered in his death.

"Species" don't feel pain. An individual animal--yes, even a fish--does. And killing and eating an animal shouldn't be "guilt-free" just because his kind isn't endangered. His suffering is his suffering to him, regardless of whether humans pat themselves on the back for killing him instead of another type of fish.

And as my friend Mary says of our war on the oceans and their inhabitants--which we are winning and which will lead not only to the ocean's demise, but to ours as well as a result--"The way to end the war we've waged and save the fish and the oceans is to stop the war! Stop eating fish and other sea dwellers and this problem goes away (and yes, I am over-simplifying). If you don't want to be complicit in the war, don't be complicit in the war."

Vegetarian (Vegan) Sushi Resources:

Veggie Sushi from the Innocent Primate Vegan Blog

Veggie Sushi, So Simple from Disease-Proof (video)

Portabella Sushi Rolls and Curried Tempeh Sushi from FatFree Vegan Kitchen

Unsavory Sushi from BitterSweet

Dining out as a Vegan: Sushi from Vegan Soapbox (great list of what you can get at sushi restaurants)

Sushi Rice Bowl from Happy Herbivore

Vegan Sushi from the Post Punk Kitchen

Raw Food Thursday: Sushi from What the Hell Does a Vegan Eat Anyway?

Vegan Sushi Accolades from Former Non-Vegan Sushi Fans at Vegan Bits

Vegan sushi photo above by Flickr user kevandem.

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Comments (11)

What a wonderful post! Thank you so much for your writing, your articles will inspire so many people and shed light on some of the worst atrocities on our planet.

Often, when people hear that I'm vegan, they tell me that they've cut down on red meat/chicken and are focusing on fish....as if that is any different. Pain is pain and suffering is suffering.

Posted by The Voracious Vegan . on 07/29/2009 @ 08:48AM PT
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Amen!

Posted by Eric M on 07/29/2009 @ 09:07AM PT
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mind sending this to Greenpeace and the ocean conservancy! I can't tell you how many organizations send out emails or blog about "going green" by choosing one fish species over another...it's a bunch of bs...because in the end no matter what type of fish you eat, other animals in the ocean suffer greatly for it. The ocean is one of if not the most symbiotic and fragile life-systems on the planet and we are wreaking havoc on it. Great post Steph! I loved the one about the chocolate too...

Posted by Kristen Magno on 07/29/2009 @ 09:12AM PT
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Kristen, I'm on the mailing lists for Greenpeace and the Ocean Conservancy, too, and I've seen the blogs and emails that you're referring to. However, I disagree with you. Let me preface this by saying that I'm vegetarian and don't eat fish. Here's the thing, though: going veg is not for everyone, and if Greenpeace and the Ocean Conservancy can convince some people to be more responsible meat and seafood eaters, then that's a good thing! I think their message should include something like, "It'd be better if you didn't eat fish at all, and here's why....but if you *do* eat fish, here's the fish you should stick to." But, overall, I appreciate their efforts.

You're right, the ocean is very fragile, and we have done a lot of damage to it, and the best way to reduce that damage is to stop eating fish and allow the ecosystem to repair itself (and to help it repair itself, carefully). But don't be hating on Greenpeace and the Ocean Conservancy. They do good work, and if they become to aggressive or too extreme, they will push away a lot of their supporters and not be able to continue doing that good work. Just sayin'.

Posted by Michelle Bak on 07/29/2009 @ 12:30PM PT
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Yeah, you know who doesn't feel guilt over inflicting death upon another? A murderer. And because it's humans killing humans we put them on trial - if they show remorse, the judge and jury might take that into account. However, if the murder is of another species, but committed by humans..that's a get out jail free card, and those who show true remorse are called vegans. Not that I think we should imprison everyone who eats meat, but why can't they see the connection between the two? If someone created a farm of humans for murderers to kill, we would be horrified. Humans bred and grown for the sole purpose of slaughter is a horrific notion, but that's what fish farms and cattle farms and chicken coops etc. are yet nobody seems to see the correlation - with the exception of vegans.

Posted by Sara Turk on 07/29/2009 @ 11:52AM PT
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I have been wondering when "human meat" is going to cease being a horrific joke and will become a reality. It may start with a practice such as the Masa'i do with their cattle, in which they slice off a steak, leaving the cow intact for future harvest of meat and milk. I still can't figure out if this is more or less humane than what we do.

Posted by Fallopia Tuba on 07/29/2009 @ 02:24PM PT
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By definition, "humane" must involve "done without inflicting any more pain than is necessary."

Fallopia, if you simply take that concept seriously, it isn't ethically justifiable to consume the flesh or reproductive excrement's of nonhuman animals in the Western world given that abundant, non-animal and therefore non-harmful alternatives abound, which makes any suffering involved in these processes "unnecessary," by definition.

Posted by Alex Melonas on 07/29/2009 @ 03:12PM PT
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I LOVE my Avocado Sushi :)

Posted by Ariel Rose on 07/29/2009 @ 02:03PM PT
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Just replied (though they moderate replies) about both the 'guilt-free' aspect and that sushi does not equal fish bits:

The killing of an animal only for the profit of humans who have chosen to kill and the convenience of those who choose to pay them to kill cannot be considered "guilt-free" simply because a species is "sustainable". There are plenty of vegetarian recipes for sushi (a word which refers to the preparation of the rice only) that have nothing to do with the death of any animal, and yet your article on "guilt-free sushi" doesn't mention a single alternative to killing.

"A man can live and be healthy without killing animals for food; therefore, if he eats meat, he participates in taking animal life merely for the sake of his appetite. And to act so is immoral." ~ Leo Tolstoy

Posted by Eric J. on 07/29/2009 @ 02:45PM PT
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I've been eating vegetarian and vegan sushi my entire life. I've never had it with dead sea creatures and I never will.

Posted by Elaine Vigneault on 07/30/2009 @ 10:41AM PT
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Veg*n sushi is so much more creative & fun anyway. Why would you just want a piece of dead fish wrapped in rice when you can have a whole rainbow of colors & flavors instead??

And one fish doesn't know if his species is endangered or if he was born on a farm or in the ocean. He only knows he wants to live.

Posted by Lisa Smolen on 08/03/2009 @ 08:20AM PT
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Stephanie is an independent animal rights advocate, a vegan, a tree-hugging environmentalist, and a freelance editor and writer. She lives in St. Louis with an aging corgi-lab and an adolescent rescued pit bull.