The Alberta Fish and Game Association is calling on the province to reinstate the grizzly bear hunt.

The group says in the past few years there's been a progression of human and bear contact, which they say shows the Alberta government was in the wrong when it imposed a suspension of the grizzly bear hunt back in 2006.

"More people are infringing on the grizzly bears' habitat," said Quentin Bochar, president of the Alberta Fish and Game Association.

"The animals are getting used to the humans, they see it as an easy way to find meals," he said.

The Association feels because the bears are becoming more aggressive, the best way to keep the animals wild is to allow them to be hunted again.

But environmental groups feel that Alberta does not have a sustainable grizzly bear population. The Alberta Wilderness Association (AWA) said based on recent scientific research, they estimate there are only about 500 grizzly bears left in the province.

"Wilderness is the landscape grizzly bears need and we need to respect that," said Christyann Olson, executive director of the Alberta Wilderness Association.

AWA feels that the grizzlies need conservation.

"Hunting bears because they are bold isn't going to make them weary, it's going to make them dead," she said.

Olson said grizzly bears are severely at risk.

"Until we can secure their habitat, we have to do the best we can to secure the numbers of grizzlies we do have."

She said keeping the public well-informed about bear safety is the best defence against bear attacks.

"A well-informed person will carry bear spray and be informed about where bears are."

Alberta Sustainable Resources Development says the province is still compiling information about grizzly bear numbers.

The department's spokesman Darcy Whiteside said the department will work to send the necessary bear population data for an independent review.

"We've already been going through some data review and reviewing documents. The review will give us a better idea on the grizzly bear population and to determine if the population is sustainable enough."

Prior to the suspension, Bochar says on average about 40-70 hunters were granted permission by the province to hunt the bears.

Whiteside said it's likely a decision on the bear hunt won't come down until next year.

With files from the Canadian Press