Following a nine-month closure, which sparked a series of protests on the island, Ziggy Marley is celebrating the reopening of the Blue Lagoon, one of Portland’s premier attractions.

The first son of Reggae legend Bob Marley, who has been vocal about Jamaicans having free access to beaches and rivers on the island, credited the Jamaica Beach Birthright Environmental Movement (JaBBEM), for their relentless efforts in the fight against outdated colonial laws, and standing up for the rights of everyday Jamaican citizens to have access to the country’s natural resources.

In an Instagram post this week, Ziggy Marley shared the news with his over 1.4 million followers. In the caption, he wrote, in part, “Happily there has been some progress that we are glad to share as the struggle to stand up for the rights of poor people continue.”

The Blue Lagoon was ordered closed in August 2022 for sanitary and other health concerns that reportedly threatened the viability of the national monument.

Tune into the Africa Forum on IRIE FM on Sunday, June 4, with Ka’Bu Maat Kheru for continued conversations.