JOHANNESBURG, 21 Jul 2005 (IRIN) - A two-day inter-island summit in Madagascar is expected to further strengthen ties among five Indian Ocean countries in their battle against growing economic marginalisation.Full report

JOHANNESBURG, 5 May 2005 (IRIN) - Declining fish stocks in the southwest Indian Ocean have prompted the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to set up a panel to promote the development of fishery resources in the region.Full report

JOHANNESBURG, 3 May 2005 (IRIN) - Efforts to repair infrastructure damaged by the devastating tsunami of December 2004 continue in the Seychelles despite a shortfall in donor funding. Full report

JOHANNESBURG, 26 Apr 2005 (IRIN) - Delegates meeting in Madagascar this week are expected to tackle the often-neglected issue of child rights in western Indian Ocean island countries.Full report

JOHANNESBURG, 18 Apr 2005 (IRIN) - Plans for a tsunami early warning system in the Indian Ocean are at an advanced stage, UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR) Director Salvano Briceno told IRIN on Monday. Full report

JOHANNESBURG, 14 Apr 2005 (IRIN) - Preventing loss of life and minimising shocks to fragile economies were key motivators in racheting up the early warning, disaster preparedness and response systems in Indian Ocean islands, the United Nations Resident Coordinator (UNRC) for Mauritius and Seychelles told IRIN. Full report

JOHANNESBURG, 13 Apr 2005 (IRIN) - An upcoming international meeting in Mauritius this week is expected to fine-tune plans for the establishment of a tsunami early warning system in the Indian Ocean.Full report

JOHANNESBURG, 29 Mar 2005 (IRIN) - Although Mauritius, Madagascar and the Seychelles have called off tsunami alerts issued after a powerful earthquake hit the Indonesian island of Sumatra, concerns remain over the preparedness of Africa's Indian Ocean island countries to handle large-scale disasters.Full report

JOHANNESBURG, 7 Feb 2005 (IRIN) - The relatively small economy of the Seychelles depends almost entirely on two main industries - fishery and tourism. The recent tsunami affected both these critical sectors and highlighted growing concern over the country's long-term economic stability. Full report

PORT LOUIS, 11 Jan 2005 (IRIN) - Small island countries will remain economically marginalised unless urgent steps are taken to improve market access for their products, delegates attending a UN Conference in Mauritius heard on Tuesday. Full report

SEYCHELLES: Economic challenges may erode development gains