Higher Fuel Costs Lead to Overfishing?

At the Fisheries Centre, we always talk about how an increase in fuel price will lead to less fishing (less flying, less driving, etc., too). The annual fuel subsidy to fishermen globally is $6.3 billion annually and, without it, many overfished species might experience reprieve. But today, an article about European fishermen challenges this assumption. Fishermen have been throwing a tantrum about the high cost of fuel and blocked port traffic in the English Channel in France. According to the article:

Some officials ruled out fuel price subsidies and said the protests had highlighted a deeper problem in the European fishing industry: too many fishing boats chasing dwindling stocks of fish. The number of species that are over-fished in Europe has risen to nearly 90 percent, European Union officials warned on Friday. Because of higher fuel costs, fleets are likely to try to catch more in coming months to make up for fuel-related losses, intensifying the problem.