Changes in water supply can have knock-on effects on the riverine forest in which Pel's fishing owl roosts and nests, and in some areas this habitat is being further degraded by wood-cutting and even by tree damage by large elephant populations. Even where the species occurs in protected areas, human activities upstream can still impact fish stocks and nesting trees.[1] Overall, the species is widely distributed and populations currently appear to be stable. However, the species is likely to come under increasing pressure in the future if, as predicted by climate change models, the African continent becomes drier and the growing human population increasingly relies on and impacts the region's river systems.[16] Thus, the species is classified as least concern by the IUCN.[3]