The Ringed Seal was last assessed for the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species in 2016. As a species, Ringed Seals are widely distributed in the ice-covered waters of the northern hemisphere, and there may presently be about three million animals. Some of the subspecies, however, are distributed in much smaller areas and are far fewer in number, such as the Saimaa ringed seal, one of the few freshwater seals. Global warming is a threat to all subspecies as the ice habitats critical for their reproduction are shrinking. It is classified as Endangered.