The Madagascar Fish Eagle is the largest raptor in its habitat. These eagles have always been living in small populations and are now listed on the IUCN Red List as critically Endangered and on Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species ( CITES). The Madagascar Fish Eagle´s current population according to newest research counts about 120 breeding pairs and is decreasing.
The main threat for this rare eagles is the land development and deforestation over fishing persecution to steal the eggs and shooting the adults and the use of the eagle body in traditional medicine.