The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) listed Roseate Terns as endangered in Canada in 1999; a change from their previous designation of 1986 when they were listed as threatened.

The status of different populations throughout the world varies. The breeding populations in the United States and the Caribbean are respectively designated as endangered and threatened by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The South African population is considered endangered while other populations in Kenya and Tanzania are relatively large.
Global population levels are low, but not critically
endangered at about 50 000 individuals.

Roseates are not only protected under Canadian and American legislations but also by the Biodiversity Action Plan in the United Kingdom and the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Waterbirds. They are also listed under the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

For more information about the status of Roseate Terns in Canada, please visit the Species at Risk Public Registry