Being a large predatory fish that is intensively fished for food, Sperata seenghala is most likely vulnerable to overfishing. However, there is no catch data to suggest that current levels of harvest are adversely affecting its population. Other threats to this species are unknown, since there is no information on the biology of this species and therefore the impact of potential threats (especially those of an anthropogenic nature) remains unknown. The current threats to aquatic biodiversity in all of its known distribution have also not been adequately identified.