Doesn't Jesus eat fish after the resurrection, help the fisherman catch fish, and serve fish during the multiplication miracle?

The only Scriptures that depict Jesus eating or providing meat of any kind involve fish: Post-resurrection, Jesus is depicted as eating fish with the disciples; during his life, he is depicted multiplying loaves and fishes to feed the peasants who have gathered to hear him preach.

Thinking about these stories in the light of all the evidence that Jesus was a vegetarian who took compassion for animals very seriously, it helps to remember that Jesus spoke in Aramaic, the Gospels were written generations after the resurrection in Hebrew, and the earliest versions we have are Greek translations from the fourth century--more than 300 years, two translations, and many transcriptions post-resurrection.

So how true to Jesus' life are the fish stories?
Evidence indicates that the post-resurrection stories are very late additions to the Gospels, and that the earliest accounts of the multiplication miracle (the story of the loaves and the fishes) did not originally include fish.

Post-resurrection fish consumption
Most scholars agree that the post-resurrection stories of Jesus eating fish were added to the Gospels long after they were written, in order to settle various schisms in the early Church. (e.g., the Marcionites and other early Christians believed that Jesus did not actually return in the flesh. What better way to prove that he did than to depict him eating?) The scribes who added the stories were not, apparently, averse to eating fish. But since this is the only depiction anywhere in the Gospels of Jesus eating any animals at all, it seems clear that he was.

The loaves and the fishes
Although it would not contradict the technical definition of a vegetarian to multiply fishes who are already dead to feed people who eat aren't opposed to eating fish, there are some interesting points to notice about this story. First, the disciples ask Jesus where they will get enough bread to feed the multitudes, never even thinking of buying fish or other animal products, and never suggesting a fishing expedition, despite being beside a sea. Also, evidence indicates that the story of the loaves and the fishes did not originally include fish. For example, the earliest (pre-Gospel) accounts of this miracle do not include fish, and Jesus, when he refers to it, refers only to the bread (e.g., Mt 16:9-10, Mk 8:19-20, Jn 6:26).

Fish were added to the stories by Greek scribes, probably because the Greek word for fish, ixous, is an acronym for the phrase "Jesus Christ Son of God Savior." Indeed, the fish is still a symbol of Christianity today. In this very likely interpretation, the multiplication represents a prediction of the burgeoning Church and has nothing to do with eating animals.

Also, some scholars contend that the Greek word for "fishweed" (a dried seaweed) has been mistranslated in this story as "fish" (see Rosen, Scholarly Works). It is certainly true that dried fishweed would be more likely in a basket with bread, and fishweed remains a popular food among Jewish and Arab peasants like the people to whom Jesus was speaking.

Conclusion
So what did Jesus definitely have to say about fishing? Jesus calls multiple fishermen away from their occupation of killing animals and pleads with them to show mercy to all beings, quoting Hosea: "I desire mercy and not sacrifice." In each instance, they immediately abandon their occupation of fishing to follow Jesus (e.g., Mk 1:16-20). This resembles Jesus' call to others who are engaged in activities that are not in line with his message of mercy and compassion.

Many billions of fish are killed every year for food in this country. We all understand that it is immoral, antithetical to Christian mercy, to torture dogs and cats. It is equally unChristian to torture or kill (or pay others to torture and kill) fish and other animals. Although they may not be able to scream out in pain, fish have the same capacity for suffering and the same right to our Christian compassion as do dogs, cats, and other human beings.