Ok.... so as a relative new-comer to the server, here's my observation:
The U.S. had numbers, and had most of the ports. Members left the U.S. to join the Pirate faction. Now that the Pirates have the numbers, they are gaining ports. Simple as that. Set aside the REASONS why one faction gained or lost numbers and concentrate on the RAMIFICATIONS it has proven. There is no game balance in conquest where numbers are concerned. This is what I'd prefer the devs concentrate on. If numbers are relatively even, then ALL nations have a decent ability to compete, and everyone on the server would have results based on sailing excellence rather than who has the biggest nation.
To present an example of a working model, look at how Elder Scrolls Online handles the Cyrodiil conquest area. Factions are locked based on participating numbers to assure more of a balance. So having a campaign lasting may be a few weeks or a month would help balance immensely.
This is Alpha... no need to throw around the hate, just concentrate on how best to fix the system for all nations.
Zap