Original Article Written by Juboy – Yard Style Reasoning 🇯🇲
Mi people, yuh ever tek a trip go Portland yet? Di place deh sweet like mango inna July. Mountains green, sea blue like paint, food fresh offa fire, an vibes clean. Fi real, Portland is a tourist paradise. But one big question still a buzz pon di street: Wha really gwaan wid rafting pon di Blue Lagoon? Why dem stop it?
Why It Matter to Wi
Tourism a one a di backbone fi di Jamaican economy. When visitors fly een, dem nuh jus’ go Ochi or Negril — Portland get a slice too. Rafting pon di Blue Lagoon did always pull dem like bees to honey. So when rafting lock down, dat nuh jus’ mash up vibes, it mash up pocket too.
Small man weh sell coconut, craft vendor, taxi man, an even fisherman weh depend pon di trickle-down — all a dem feel di pinch.
Why Dis Happen
Dem seh di reason simple — environmental safety. Authorities seh di lagoon fragile, an di constant rafting plus boat engine oil mash up di ecosystem. Fish population drop, water clarity change, an di natural balance start shift.
But mi haffi ask: If protection really di priority, why wi wait till di whole ting mash up before wi act? Is like how some a wi treat health — wait till sugar pressure high before wi stop drink bag juice.
Common Misconceptions
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“Rafting cyan mash up nature.” Wrong. Too much boat traffic mash up reef, scare off fish, an cause pollution.
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“Tourism always help community.” Nuh always. If management poor, locals see likkle benefit while big man pocket swell.
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“Dem stop rafting fi politics.” Partly speculation, but truth is, environment and profit always deh ina tug-of-war.
How Wi Coulda Balance Di Ting
Juboy seh, it nuh haffi be either-or. Mi framework fi balance tourism wid environment look so:
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Eco-Regulation – Limit di number a rafts daily, regulate di type a material use, and ban boat engine weh leak oil.
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Community First – Local guides an vendors must be part a di decision-making. No outsider contract fi come tek over.
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Education – Teach both tourist an local why di lagoon special, so preservation nuh feel like punishment.
Deep Dive
Some marine biologist point out seh Blue Lagoon unique cause fresh water from underground spring mix wid di saltwater. Dat mek it delicate. Once di balance tip, lagoon cyan regenerate easy. So di pause pon rafting might save di future fi wi pickney dem.
River Rafting Pon Rio Grande
Check di Rio Grande rafting — still a run, still a pull tourist, but better regulated. Community involve, guides licensed, raft material eco-friendly. Blue Lagoon coulda follow dat model, but with stricter rule cause di ecosystem more fragile.
Mistakes Fi Avoid
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Over-commercialize – If yuh flood lagoon wid too much foreign investment, locals lock out.
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Short-term profit mindset – Grab money today, lef lagoon dead tomorrow.
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Ignore local voice – Decision mek ina Kingston office but nuh reflect weh Portland people really need.
Alternatives
Even if rafting pause, Portland still rich wid attraction: Reach Falls, Rio Grande rafting, Winnifred Beach, Boston Jerk. Di key is diversify — so tourist cyaan seh Portland dead cause one attraction lock.
Quick Action Plan Fi Yard People
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Community Pushback – Demand transparency pon why rafting pause an when it can restart.
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Eco-Solutions – Propose community-driven model weh balance money wid nature.
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Support Other Spots – Promote other Portland gems fi keep di money flow.
Juboy Last Word
So mi people, Portland remain paradise — lagoon or no lagoon. But di decision fi stop rafting show wi one big truth: tourism cyan mash up di same beauty weh it sell, if wi nuh careful.
Mi granny always seh, “Yuh cyaan sell all di mango tree an expect fi still have shade.” Same way, wi cyan exploit Blue Lagoon fi fast dollar an expect it fi remain “Jamaica jewel.”
Drop yuh views — yuh tink dem right fi stop rafting pon Blue Lagoon, or shoulda regulate it instead? Share dis wid yuh bredrin an sistren so wi can reason out how fi protect di land weh feed wi.
✍️ Original Article Written by Juboy
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