October 2006

Netting the message - vegetarians do not eat fish!

The Vegetarian Society will be distributing over 100,000 leaflets in the coming months to help send home the message: “Whichever way you cut it…vegetarians do not eat fish!”

To the well informed this would seem an obvious piece of information. But, much to the frustration of Britain’s three million plus vegetarians, there is a common misconception that fish is a perfectly acceptable option for veggies.

Fish are ANIMALS! And vegetarians do not eat animals. But they still get offered fish in restaurants, cafes, functions, and even in the homes of well-meaning friends and family. So, The Vegetarian Society has produced a graphic leaflet explaining why veggies DON’T EAT FISH. It illustrates the impact of the fishing industry on wildlife, the environment, and of course, the poor fish themselves.

Copies of the leaflet are available free of charge from The Vegetarian Society, 0161 925 2000, www.vegsoc.org/fish

Notes for editors

• The Vegetarian Society of the UK (founded in 1847) was the first organisation worldwide to adopt the term “vegetarian”. The Vegetarian Society’s definition of a vegetarian is:
‘ someone who eats no meat, poultry, fish, shellfish or crustacea and also avoids the by-products of the slaughterhouse such as gelatine, rennet and animal fats.’ The majority of vegetarians eat free-range eggs.

• Please contact Collette Walsh for further information, interviews and photography. The Vegetarian Society Press Office: 0161 925 2012. Email: collette@vegsoc.org

• Outside office hours The Vegetarian Society Press Office can be contacted on 07973 108 165. Alternatively visit the website for lots more information at www.vegsoc.org.