Steller's sea lion is hunted on a subsistence level including trade for the meat, hides, and blubber.
The IUCN/SSC Seal Specialist Group recommend research into the causes of sea lion decline, and management of commercial fisheries in the Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea to ensure the recovery of the Steller's Sea Lion.
The IUCN lists [Eumetopias jubatus] as "Endangered" on its Red List. Previously it was listed as "Vulnerable".