King of Pop Jay Chou has resorted to speaking English for the latest Public Service Announcement launched on Tuesday, Aug. 30, in Taipei to voice out against the traditional practice of consuming shark fin.

The video, entitled “Don’t Buy It,” sees Jay Chou speaking English -- his non-native language -- to get the message across: “For your health, for the sharks and for the oceans, please say no to shark fin soup.”

Fins from up to 73 million sharks per year are used for shark fin soup, a delicacy in many parts of Asia.

Evidence from mainland China shows a 50 to 70 percent reduction in shark fin consumption in recent years as a result of awareness campaigns and a ban on shark fin at government banquets.

However, Taiwan continues to both supply and consume significant amounts of shark fin.

Global attitudes towards shark fin consumption can be observed to have somewhat shifted. Banquets in Singapore, for example, have resorted to serving shark fin soup substitutes after conservation efforts were better publicised over the past few years.

WildAid, the organisation that roped Chou in, is the only organisation focused on reducing the demand for endangered species products.

Chou and English

In 2011, it was reported that Chou learnt to speak English within the span of one month before filming for The Green Hornet started.

"I spent three hours every day for a month memorizing the script and learning the meaning of the words," he said. "When audiences watch the movie, they might think my English is good, but I really don't know much."

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