TAIPEI ( Taiwan News) — Seafarers on Taiwanese ships should be informed of the risks involved in sailing to piracy-affected areas and be given the choice of refusing such assignments, according to a legal amendment that passed its third legislative reading on Tuesday (April 13).

In question is the Seafarer Act, which currently stipulates that written consent must be obtained from sailors before they head for war zones. Changes are being made to address the increasingly rampant piracy, such as off the coast of Somalia, to better protect seamen, reported CNA.

Crew members should not be subject to punishment or fines by their employers if they do not agree to travel to piracy hotspots, the National Chinese Seamen’s Union told Taiwan News.

Last year saw an increase in armed maritime robbery incidents globally, with a total of 195 actual and attempted attacks reported, up from 162 in 2019. Piracy was reported in areas that include the Singapore Strait and the Gulf of Guinea.