The man was a recreational fisher from Waikato and had been staying on a launch.
McKenzie said the council had undertaken 94 surveillance trips since last October.
Five of those were night patrols, including one response to a report from a member of the public.
McKenzie said night patrols were used to prevent anglers from predicting when enforcement officers would be checking the area.
The council had approached 246 vessels, resulting in the issue of 23 formal direction notices and two infringement fines of $1000.
Both fines had been paid, McKenzie said.
No-take rules were introduced after an Environment Court decision in 2023, which directed the council to implement the rules through its regional plan.
Fishing had caused damage and disruption to local marine ecosystems.
The public can report incidents of fishing within the Rāhui Tapu by filling in an online form via nrc.govt.nz/rahuitapuform, or by calling NRC’s 24/7 incident hotline (0800) 504 639.
Brodie Stone covers crime and emergency for the Northern Advocate. She has spent most of her life in Whangārei and is passionate about delving into issues that matter to Northlanders and beyond.