Haliaeetus leucoryphus is vulnerable to wetland destruction, human disturbance, and pollution.
There is little recent published information of its status over much of its range, but it appears to be thinly distributed and there is evidence for a decline in numbers in some range states, although it remains locally common in parts of Bangladesh and north-east India. However a fall in numbers is likely as habitat fragmentation increases.
It is considered as "Vulnerable" by the IUCN. CITES lists the species as "Appendix 2".