PIG trotters, chicken feet, fungus-growing caterpillars and duck eggs are among the hundreds of kilograms of prohibited items seized from Chinese visitors by biosecurity officers at Cairns airport this week.

The airport's biosecurity manager Ashley Smith said officers had filled five wheelie bins with items that are not allowed in Australia since Chinese New Year revellers started arriving last weekend.

"We’ve seized a couple hundred kilos of food – it's more than I expected," he said.

"Every passenger pretty much has had something to declare."

Most of the visitors were not aware of Australia's biosecurity laws and the haul highlighted the need to raise international awareness of the rules, Mr Smith said.

"We've enjoyed welcoming the Chinese community into Cairns and we hope that they understand and appreciate why the biosecurity laws are in place and tell their friends and family so the message is spread to the wider Chinese community," he said.

The Cairns airport biosecurity team expected to fill up to three more wheelie bins with prohibited items as more Chinese visitors arrive this weekend.

Fungus-growing caterpillars were one of the "very unusual" items that a Chinese traveller brought into Cairns, he said.

"That's something that we do not see a lot," he said.

A bird's nest stuffed into a jar was another unusual item seized, while another visitor arrived with a still-warm cooked duck, Mr Smith said.

The seized items included 20kg of fresh fruit, vegetables and unpacked nuts; 7kg of chicken feet, wings, necks and gizzards; 5kg of dried pork and beef; a 3kg beef casserole; and 2kg of raw and cooked duck eggs.

Chinese translators have been helping biosecurity officers by explaining to visitors why the items were not allowed to enter Australia.

"Most are just not aware they are a biosecurity risk," he said.

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