The Fautasi regatta initially scheduled to be included in Samoa's 60th Independence anniversary celebration this month has been postponed to May.

The Ministry of Police Prisons and Corrections Services has asked for all registered crews – who were expecting the competition to kick off this month – to meet this Friday with the Sub-Committee and crew captains of the Fautasi regatta.

The Ministry on Tuesday issued a public notice calling on all crew captains to meet this Friday to discuss the program as well as preparations for the regatta.

"Through this meeting we will finalise main objectives which were previously discussed in previous meetings held including registration, rules, repairing of fautasi boats, and dates for the races," the Ministry's notice reads.

In January this year the Ministry advised that the Fautasi race regatta, which was initially deferred from July to the end of last year, would be held in March this year. 

The Ministry's statement advised that the regatta will include half sized fautasi race known as the tulula which is traditionally for women as well as the paopao and alo va’a races.

Despite $60,000 in prize money for the winning crew, it hasn't lured more teams to register, given the short period of time for groups to put a crew together. In June last year the regatta was deferred due to the minimal number of interested groups.

Prime Minister, Fiame Naomi Mata’afa last year said an update from the Independence sub-committee recommended that the traditional canoe race be deferred to allow ample time for preparations. 

“The reason given and you have already publicised this is there are only three fautasi [interested],” Fiame said at that time. 

“The view from the sub-committee responsible for the fautasi and other traditional canoe race its best to defer the event to allow for preparations because it’s not an easy task and it is proposed and recommended to have it at the end of the year…”

It has been six years since the country last held a national fautasi race after it was dropped by the then Independence organising committee and incorporated into the Teuila Festival. 

However, in 2017 the traditional fautasi regatta was abandoned altogether by the Teuila festival, and replaced with traditional dancing and other forms of entertainment. 

The last time Samoa celebrated the Teuila Festival was in 2020 but was limited in its activities due to the border closure and COVID-19 restrictions.