The items, all tabua- the polished tooth of a sperm whale - are highly regarded cultural gifts in Fiji, often passed down through generations.
But laws preventing the trade in endangered species mean that more than 100 tabua have been seized at New Zealand's border, and they are being stored by the department.
DOC's National Compliance Manager, Darryl Lew, said more than 90 per cent of the endangered specimens forfeited to the crown are destroyed, but not the tabua collection.
