What is the history behind eating fish on Friday?

[chukm8]

I had a former Catholic tell me he was born into a Catholic family but when they started changing things like the fish on Friday thing and making annulments as easy to get as a divorce, he left.
Did the Catholic church ever tell Catholics they had to eat fish on Fridays? I thought it was more a matter of giving up meat rather than having to choose fish.
Chukm8

 

[Devon_Caffran]

The following links should assist you in better understanding the Catholic Church’s teaching on the Lenten fasting guidelines. If you have any further questions or concerns that are not answered by these links, please [contact Catholic Answers (http://www.catholic.com/home/contact.asp) directly.
**Recommended Reading:
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• Where can I find a history of Friday abstinence from meat?
• Why is Friday for not eating meat and not another day of the week?