The Ministry for Primary Industries is toughening up its approach to airline passengers who don't declare items when arriving in New Zealand.
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So far this year the ministry has issued more than nine-thousand fines and 1100 warnings to air passengers who failed to follow biosecurity rules.
The Ministry's Passenger Manager, Craig Hughes, said biosecurity fines have risen by more than 50 percent between 2014 and 2016 and should increase this year as well.
Mr Hughes said failing to declare items that could bring pests or diseases into the country because a traveller forgot, was tired from travelling, or did not know the rules, is not enough to avoid a fine.
