Answer: To find the number of fish in the pond on the first day of filming, we need to evaluate the function N(t) at t = 0 (since t is measured in weeks).
Given the function N(t) = 12(1 + 0.04)^t, we can substitute t = 0:
N(0) = 12(1 + 0.04)^0.
Any number raised to the power of 0 is 1, so:
N(0) = 12 * 1 = 12.
Therefore, there were 12 fish in the pond on the first day of filming.