Not many companies get to ring the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange, and based on the giddy looks of Marine Harvest Chairman Ole-Eirik Leroy and CEO Alf-Helge Aarskog (who also hoisted a salmon in the air), it seems fun.

But beyond the joy of hearing the clang and posing for the photo opportunities, there is real intention behind the listing: putting salmon farming visibly on the map of important agricultural commodities.

"We are adding something to the protein investing environment that is currently not there," Ole-Eirik Leroy, chairman of Marine Harvest, told me shortly after opening the market Tuesday.