A team from the Ministry of Sports and Recreation visited the Mulinuʻu peninsula on Wednesday to mark canoes used during the 2023 International Vaʻa Federation (IVF) World Distance Championships in Apia — an action that sparked tension with the Samoa Outrigger Canoeing Association (SOCA).

What unfolded was described as a brief “misunderstanding” over the ownership of the canoes.

Associate Minister for Sports, Fiu Ponifasio Vasa, told the Samoa Observer the canoes are “government assets.”

“I’m not in a position to comment — there was a misunderstanding between SOCA and the ministry with regards to government assets,” he said. “We were here to mark and register the assets. As you can see, the assets — by the looks of it — it’s like private personal assets, but in actual fact they are government assets.”

Fiu said the issue has since been resolved, adding that the canoes would be marked again in the future as part of a wider registration process for government property.

When asked about the police presence, he said it was precautionary. “As we all know, when things like this happen, the police are there for their mandated role to ensure everything runs smoothly — just in case something happens. But nothing major happened,” he said.

SOCA President Leata Mailo McCarthy declined to comment. Vice President Colin McCarthy told the Samoa Observer he was visiting the Deputy Prime Minister, Toelupe Poumulinuku Onesemo, to discuss the matter.

More to come